


H-ohm for the Holidays

by Orange17



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: F/F, Grinch!Waverly, Hallmark Holiday Movie AU, Ice skating is involved, Merry Christmas, SO MUCH FLUFF, The Jeep might as well be a character too, Waverly is a lawyer, Wine is best paired with this cheese, Wood Jokes, lots of sighing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-04
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-25 04:53:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 25,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21670267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Orange17/pseuds/Orange17
Summary: After her long-term girlfriend, Beth Gardner, breaks up with her and losing a big case, Waverly Earp reluctantly returns home to Purgatory for the holidays for the first time in 5 years. Will her childhood home and town be just like she remembered? Or will the changes, including a new owner of Nedley Family Tree Farm, alter the course of the rest of her life?(yes, this is dramatic; cheesy Hallmark Holiday movie AU, right?)
Relationships: Waverly Earp/Nicole Haught
Comments: 180
Kudos: 616





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic has been a long time coming, so kudos to anyone who’s listened to me whine about it. Extra thanks to my beta [@LuckyWantsToKnow](https://twitter.com/LuckyWantsTo) for the clever title and bashing Teslas in addition to all the usual fun. 
> 
> If you’re so inclined, you can follow me on Twitter: [@DubiousOrange17](https://twitter.com/dubiousorange17)

Waverly sighed, hugging her knees tighter to her chest. It wasn’t comfortable sitting like this, with one of the chairs that typically sat opposite her desk pulled close to the window, but she couldn’t bring herself to move. Snow piled on the outside sill, and Waverly could feel an icy chill radiating through the glass pane. 

She jumped at a knock on her door, turning quickly to see her boss at the entrance to her office. 

Typically, she’d have long seen such a visitor through the glass walls that separated her office from the rest of the suite, but she was… distracted. 

Waverly sat up straighter as the woman on the other side didn’t bother to wait for an invitation before pushing open the unlocked door. 

“Oh! Hi Lucado! I was just taking a break from…” she trailed, tired mind struggling to come up with a task to lie about. 

Her boss leaned against the frame, glancing at her watch as she crossed her arms. “What are you still doing here, Waverly? It’s nearly 11. It’s not as though you have a case to work on.” 

Waverly’s stomach twisted guiltily. “Oh, um, I just. I was going to… but…” 

Lucado’s eyes narrowed as she pushed off the doorframe and moved to sit behind Waverly’s desk, tapping away at the keys, “Go home Earp.” 

“Oh, um, okay,” Waverly stammered, joints cracking as she uncurled and stretched her legs. “Let me get my things… and I’ll see you tomorrow.” 

“No.” 

“Sorry? No?” 

“No,” Lucado repeated, looking up from Waverly’s computer. “How long has it been since you’ve taken a vacation?” 

Waverly wracked her brain as she stood, unsure where this was going. “After I graduated from law school, my sister and I went to Greece.” 

“Then you’re overdue,” Lucado replied, eyes returning to the screen. “You’re off until January 10. Clear your head. You need it after this last case.” 

“But—” 

“Nope. I’m temporarily suspending your building access. Go home, Earp. I’ll see you in the new year.” 

“Okay, fine, I’ll work from home.” 

“Your VPN access has been revoked,” Lucado replied briskly, typing away. “And, I’m changing your email password.” 

“Fudgenuggets,” Waverly murmured, running a hand through her hair. She moved to her desk, hastily shoving her reusable water bottle in her bag, as Lucado shut down her computer. 

Her phone chirped, and as she walked to the door, she pulled it from her pocket to see her sister’s name flash across the screen. She did a double-take at a particular icon missing from the corner. 

Eyes narrowing, she turned back to her boss, “You couldn’t have waited until I left the building to kick me off the WiFi?” 

“Anything to get you out of here faster.” 

Waverly rolled her eyes before reaching for her coat and scarf. She draped both over her arm and pushed on the door before turning back around. 

“Thank you, Jeannie. I hope you have a great holiday with your family... Merry Christmas.” 

“Merry Christmas, Earp.” 

\-- 

Bundled against the cold December night with flurries flying thickly through the air, Waverly guiltily scrolled past notifications of missed calls and unreturned messages from Wynonna, Gus, and her mom. Each was desperate to know if her holiday plans included a trip home. 

She sighed, mentally tallying the pros and cons of staying alone in her apartment for the next few weeks versus going home for the holidays. She briefly considered a vacation, but the idea of spending the holidays by herself in a foreign place felt… depressing. 

Ignoring the flood of notifications, as she had for the past few days, she scrolled to a different contact and lifted her phone to her ear. 

“Hey, Waves!” 

“Hey Jer. Robin invited you over for Christmas, didn’t he?” 

“Yes. Yes, he did. You know that. And you know that I said no because it’s too soon and he’ll want to spend it with his family, not—” 

“I’m going home for the holidays this year,” Waverly interjected, “and I’m leaving tomorrow morning. Do you want me to pick you up or not?” 

Waverly rolled her eyes but smiled at the choking noises on the other end of the call. But she lurched to a stop when Jeremy finally regained his composure.

“ _ You’re  _ going home?” 

_ Better than being alone, right? _ she thought slyly. 

Waverly swallowed thickly before continuing toward her apartment, “Yeah. But don’t deflect. You want a ride or not?” 

Jeremy stuttered out an incoherent response. It sounded less like actual words, and more like he swallowed his tongue. Waverly rolled her eyes again, shifting her bag more securely on her shoulder as she finally reached her building. 

“Robin will be  _ thrilled _ to have you. I’ll be outside your building at 10. Don’t make me come up and drag you out,” Waverly sighed before hanging up. 

\--

The sun was low in the sky before the Homestead was framed in Waverly’s windshield. She eyed the unusually festive exterior, multicolor lights strung around the roof and trim and inflatable reindeer to the side of the porch. 

_ Leave it to Doc to decorate_, she thought, tapping her fingers impatiently against the steering wheel, restless from the long time spent in the confines of her car. 

She had expected to arrive much earlier but between Jeremy’s nervous bladder and a stop to charge her car, it was a miracle she made it before dark. 

Having dropped Jeremy off with Robin already, she had no distraction from the emotions that swelled at the sight of her childhood home. Her tires spun on the gravel, and she eased off the gas, slowly closing the distance between herself and the front porch. 

Restless as she was, it seemed like another hour had passed before she shifted into park; it was her first time home for Christmas since her undergrad days and she hardly knew what to expect. 

She had barely clicked to release her seatbelt when she heard the old screen door squeak open and small feet thud across the worn deck of the porch. 

“Aunt Avery! Aunt Avery!” 

Waverly smiled as those words reached her ears. When Alice was first learning how to talk, “W”s gave her trouble, and the nickname had stuck. 

There was no sweeter sound than her niece’s voice, and it had been entirely too long since she had heard it like this: unfiltered, crisp, and clear. Without the usual hiss and static that accompanied their phone or video calls, it made her heart swell.

Waverly fumbled for the handle, pushing the door open and hopping out just in time to meet Alice as she ran to the car. She groaned as she picked Alice up, hugging her tightly before shifting her niece to her hip. 

“Oh sweetheart, it’s so good to see you! You’ve gotten so big! I don’t think I’m going to be able to do this much longer.” 

Waverly stepped away from her car, using her hip to push the door closed, before twisting to better see her niece, “Where’s your mom?” 

“Inside,” Alice mumbled, snuggling closer into Waverly. “She said it was too cold to come outside.” 

“It is without a coat,” Waverly scolded, eyeing her niece’s bare arms and hurrying toward the door. 

It opened just as Waverly’s boots hit the worn floorboards of the porch, Doc stepping outside to let them in. 

“Hi Doc,” Waverly grinned, setting Alice down just in the entry. 

He closed the door behind him, blocking out the cold, “It is wonderful to see you again, Waverly.” 

Waverly glared as her sister ambled toward them, “How could you let her outside without a coat?! It’s December!” 

“Hello to you too, Wave,” Wynonna shrugged, as Alice ran past her, feet slipping and skidding across the floor, “Kid got away from me. It’s a miracle she even has clothes on now. Must’ve been a stripper in a past life or something.” 

“Should’ve named her Aphrodite, and not Alice,” Waverly mumbled, Doc chuckling. 

Wynonna’s eyes narrowed dangerously, “What?” 

“Nothing,” Waverly replied airily, stepping forward and hugging her sister, trapping Wynonna’s arms at her sides. “I missed you.” 

Wynonna sighed, freeing her arms enough to return Waverly’s embrace, “I missed you too.” 

Abruptly, Wynonna pulled back, slipping out of Waverly’s arms and roughly swiping at her eyes. “Uh, Gus is working tonight, but momma’s in the kitchen. And I’ve been kicked out. Unceremoniously. Apparently, we needed a feast since the baby was coming home.” 

Waverly’s hands clutched in front of her, “Right. Momma.” 

“She even made me go into town to get  _ fresh _ brussel sprouts,” Wynonna whined. “Who knew the frozen bag we’ve been using as an ice pack for three years wasn’t good enough?” 

Waverly nodded, eyes trained on the direction of the kitchen. 

“She’s happy you’re here,  _ really _ , baby girl,” Wynonna added, with a not so gentle nudge forward. 

Waverly nodded again before taking a tentative step forward, “Right. Of course.” 

The floorboards creaked, unnaturally loud in her ears as she moved through the living room, as if each one was announcing her arrival. She eyed the walls and picture frames, scanning the happy pictures of Alice, Wynonna, Doc, Gus, and momma. A weight settled in her stomach the further she got without seeing her own face. 

Waverly picked up a framed photo from the end table. She smiled, seeing a younger version of herself seated in a chair at the hospital, an hours-old Alice in her arms. 

Blinking back tears, she replaced the frame to where she had found it and took a deep breath as she straightened up. She turned back toward the kitchen, only to find her mom leaning against the open door frame, arms crossed over her chest. 

Waverly jumped, heart racing, “Jesus, momma. You scared me.” 

“Sorry, that's the only one we have out,” Michelle shrugged. “It’s the only picture we had that didn’t have Beth in it.” 

“Right,” Waverly nodded, glancing at the photo again. 

“Aren’t you going to say hello to your mother? Surely Gus raised you better than that.” 

Waverly nodded again, tearing her eyes from the picture. She shifted her weight to her toes, forcing her body to move forward to close the space between herself and her momma. 

Michelle’s arms opened, and Waverly all but fell into them, letting her mom pull her closer. 

“Hi momma,” she whispered into the wool of her sweater, inhaling traces of Sheladelle and whiskey mixed with whatever was for dinner. 

“Hi, baby. It’s real good to see you.” 

\--

“We’re getting a tree this weekend!” Alice exclaimed, pointing at the box of decorations, dragging Waverly away from Michelle’s repeated refusals for her help in washing the dishes. “Are you comin’ ‘long?” 

“Of course! If you want me to,” Waverly beamed, lowering herself to Alice’s height. 

Alice nodded firmly before dropping Waverly’s hand and running into the next room, “AUNT AVERY IS COMIN’ TO GET A TREE!”

Instead of following her rambunctious niece, who continued to shout at the top of her lungs, Waverly walked closer to the cardboard box. The sides were beaten and crushed, held together with duct tape. She eyed the fading thick black ink in her mother’s handwriting that read  _ XMAS SHIT _ . Opening the tattered top flaps, she keeled closer, eyeing her homemade angel atop a mess of tangled lights and ornaments in equally worn boxes. 

“So, is it true? You’re tagging along?” 

Waverly abruptly closed the box at the sound of her sister’s voice. She turned to see Wynonna with two steaming mugs in hand. Wiping her hands on her jeans, Waverly stood, taking the mug her sister offered her with a murmured thank you. 

“There’s booze in it,” Wynonna sighed, taking a long swallow from her own mug. “It helps soften the blow of screaming child.” 

Waverly nodded, curling her fingers around the warmed ceramic, and sniffing tentatively while she eyed the floating marshmallows, “Whiskey? And hot chocolate?” 

“Of course,” Wynonna scoffed, before looking at her solemnly. “Kid will be  _ real  _ disappointed if you get her hopes up. And that makes her louder.”

Waverly’s eyes narrowed, “Why would I lie to her? I want to come along.” 

“I don’t know,” Wynonna shrugged. “It’s just… not like you. Coming home. Suddenly. Getting all sentimental over decorations…” 

Her sister laughed hollowly and shook her head. “You never wanted to leave Purgatory… I forced you to take advantage of opportunities I couldn’t even dream of… school, scholarships… and now you never want to come back.” 

Waverly eyed the box again, taking a sip of her cocoa before turning back toward her sister, ignoring her latter comment, “Cutting down the tree was always my favorite as a kid. And Chrissy will be there—it’ll be good to see her.” 

Wynonna nodded once before moving to the stairs and sitting down on a step, cradling her mug in hands, “I’m not sure that she’ll be there. You know Nedley sold the farm, right?” 

Waverly sputtered and choked on her spiked hot chocolate, the whiskey searing her throat. 

Coughing, she asked, “Nedley  _ sold _ it?” 

“Yeah, he retired,” Wynonna shrugged like it was old news. “This ginger chick bought it. Nina or Natalie, something? Gus can tell you about it.” 

Waverly shook her head, taken aback by that tidbit of information, “Chrissy didn’t want it? And who is Nina or Natalie or whatever her name is? She can’t be local.” 

“Dunno about Chrissy,” Wynonna shrugged again. “And no, she’s not.”

“Then why’d she come to Purgatory?” Waverly scoffed, surprised there’d be any appeal to their one-horse town. 

A crash from the next room, followed by Alice crying had Wynonna on her feet. 

“No idea, but you can ask her this weekend,” Wynonna sighed, leaving Waverly alone in the hall. 

\--

Waverly stomped across the snow-covered ground between the barn and the house, not bothering to brush off her boots before she continued inside. She only came to a halt, just inside the entry, once she had slammed the front door behind her. 

“Where are all the extension cords?!” she called impatiently, rubbing her gloved hands together to warm them. 

Doc stuck his head through the open door frame, grimacing, “My apologies, I believe all have been spoken for and put to use for decorations outside.” 

Waverly huffed, “I need to charge my car. I’ll just unplug the reindeer for a few hours.” 

“NO!” Alice yelled from the living room. “Rudolph will go flat!” 

Waverly rolled her eyes, and Doc’s face looked guilty. “I will drive you into town when Wynonna returns. Or you can take your Jeep. Curtis kept it running until he passed… and I took the liberty of doing the same.” 

With a grimace of her own, Waverly ran a hand across her face, “Thank you. Can you grab me the keys?” 

\--

In spite of the seat belt she had on, Waverly rattled around in the driver’s seat, white-knuckled, as she fought to keep her hands steady on the wheel. She swore as she hit a bump and was jostled around again. 

_ Why _ she wanted a Wrangler, the least fuel-efficient car one could buy, all those years ago was now a mystery, as she longed for the smooth ride of her Tesla—even if she knew its tires would be spinning on this packed down snow. 

Thirty long, slow minutes later she pulled into the first vacant spot she saw on the edge of Main Street, slightly carsick and eager to get out of her Jeep. 

Salt on the sidewalk crunching beneath her boots, she eyed her surroundings as she walked into the heart of town. Everything was achingly familiar until it wasn’t. Even little things, like a storefront painted a different color, or even just with a fresh coat of paint, stopped her in her tracks. 

When she finally made it to the combination of a grocery and hardware store, swiping her card through the card reader instead of fumbling with cash, trying to avoid the cashier having to break a big bill if she could avoid it, everything felt entirely wrong—even if it was nice that Purgatory was finally catching up to the times. 

\--

Tucked between Gus and Alice in the backseat Wynonna’s extended cab truck, Waverly fidgeted in the tight space to look out the windows, watching the snow-covered fields roll by. The familiarity of it all was soothing. The scenery no different than it had looked from the backseat of this same truck, each year that Gus and Curtis brought her to this particular lot to pick their Christmas tree. 

Waverly braced herself, and the engine of the truck whined as it continued up the road, toward the crest of a hill that blocked the farm from view. 

In the few days since she returned to Purgatory, she had heard  _ more  _ than enough from her family about the changes that had been made since Nedley sold his business. With a glance at Alice, her heart broke a little as she wondered how different this trip would be from all her own fond childhood memories. 

Finally, the familiar “Nedley Family Tree Farm” sign came into view. A smile tugged at Waverly’s lips, remembering painting those red letters with Chrissy onto the now-weathered wood. Her eyes scanned the Christmas trees they had each painted on each side, Chrissy’s with a star on the top and Waverly’s with an angel. 

But her smile slipped to a frown when she noticed an addition hanging below, clearly newer by the freshly planed wood, that read “Haught Timber.” 

She huffed, crossing her arms and accidentally elbowing Gus in the close confines. 

“What?” Wynonna asked, eyeing her in the rearview mirror. 

“She added a sign. Nina or Natalie, or whatever you said her name is.” 

“Nicole,” Gus interjected. “Her name is Nicole.” 

“And yeah,” Wynonna shrugged. “How else would anyone find her shop?” 

“There’s this thing called Google Maps,” Waverly murmured, as Wynonna turned into the driveway, driving deeper onto the property until they reached the small parking lot. 

Wynonna chuckled to herself. “Timber. That should be a Canadian dating app.” 

It was the first weekend in December, and the flat gravel area in front of them was bustling with activity. Everyone was bundled against the elements as adults tied trees to the roof of their cars, and kids ran eagerly toward the rows of trees, eager to pick the perfect festive decoration. 

Once Wynonna parked in one of the few remaining vacant spots in the lot, Waverly slid out of her seat behind her aunt. She hadn’t taken more than two steps away from the truck before her attention found an unfamiliar, tall redhead. All but the ends of her hair were hidden underneath a thick beanie. It was the only distinguishing characteristic Waverly could see with her back turned to them while she tied a tree to the roof of a Subaru. 

As if this woman could sense Waverly admiring her thick blue flannel jacket and Carhartt overalls, she turned, revealing a reindeer on her beanie, complete with antlers. She brushed together her work-glove-covered hands, sending pine needles flying. 

“Hey Gus!” the woman chirped, striding closer to the truck. 

“Hi Nicole, looks like business is boomin’.” 

But Waverly’s eyes narrowed at one of Gus’s few gestures of affection, the trademark no-nonsense, gruff side-hug she offered Nicole. 

“It really is,” Nicole chuckled, stepping out of the embrace to scan the parking lot. She shrugged before she faced them again, this time locking eyes with Waverly and extending her hand, “We haven’t met yet, have we? I’m Nicole, Nicole Haught.” 

Waverly paused before briefly grasping Nicole’s hand. “Hi.”

“And you are Waverly Earp,” Nicole continued, pausing just long enough for Waverly to nod apprehensively. “Quite a popular girl around here, if all I’ve heard about you coming home is any indication.”

Waverly huffed at the nerve of this woman, but it was drowned out by a squeal from Alice. Freed from her booster seat, she ducked Doc’s arm and jumped from the truck, speeding toward Nicole. With a thump, Alice collided with Nicole’s legs, wrapping them in a hug. 

“Hi Nicky! Where’s Jane?”

Nicole scooped Alice into her arms, and Waverly suspiciously noted the familiarity in the gesture as Nicole shifted Alice to her hip. “See that fire pit over there?” Once Alice nodded, Nicole added, “Last I saw her, she was there with Ryan and some of the other kids. They were throwing snowballs for her to catch.”

Alice squirmed until Nicole lowered her, her feet kicking wildly until they crunched onto the snow. 

“THANKS NICKY,” Alice shouted, as she tore off towards the fire pit. 

Waverly watched as Nicole winced, a hand coming to scratch at her beanie. 

“Hey, Nicky!” Wynonna greeted with a wide grin, slapping the redhead on the back. 

“Nicole is fine, really.” 

“Not for Alice.” 

“I mean, who can really say no to her?” Nicole sighed. “Even going back to calling me Red would be better, Wynonna.” 

“I personally think Nina suits you better, so why don’t we go back to that?” 

A jealous pang reverberated through Waverly at the familiarity of the banter, and she squirmed impatiently. 

“Cut it out you two,” Gus barked, with a glare at Wynonna before she pushed Waverly forward. “Let’s go pick out a damn tree.” 

Nicole seemed inclined to say something else, but bit her lip instead before flashing a forced smile. “Have a great time, y’all.” 

Gus nudged her between the shoulder blades again, and Waverly trekked toward the fire pit and the treeline just beyond it. With a quick glance over her shoulder, she saw Nicole wander through the parking lot, beanie off and a hand running through her hair. 

Waverly turned to Gus and snapped, “Sorry, who are Jane and Ryan? And how does Alice know them? Or Nicole?” 

But Wynonna replied, “Alice loves Red’s kid, Ryan, they go to school together.”

“Nicole was kind enough to offer to pick them both up from school and watch her til Wynonna or I can pick her up, since they get on so well. Takes a load off of me,” Gus added, with a glance at Wynonna. 

Wynonna’s disgruntled response was drowned out by Christmas music as they grew closer to the fire pit. She spied a hot cider and cocoa stand, advertising the proceeds would support both the fire department and sheriff’s office. 

Though the niceness of the gesture was not lost on Waverly, she grumbled. Couldn’t anyone just get a tree and get on with their day? Without all this nonsense that wasn’t here when she was a kid. 

She turned away, but her eyes seemed to automatically find Nicole again, this time giving a saw to another family. With a huff, Waverly shifted her focus to the fire pit, searching for her niece. 

With her stupid smile and festive attire, Nicole had looked the part of the perfect Christmas tree farm owner. And it just infuriated Waverly more. 

Feeling warm, and not from the crackling flames in her proximity, she stomped over toward Alice. Her niece was already covered in snow, sitting by the fire and petting an equally snow-covered shaggy black lab. 

“Come on, Alice! You ready to pick a tree?” 

\--

With her weight on her toes and heels off the ground, Waverly strained to reach toward the top of the tree, determined to hang one last ornament. 

She let out a frustrated groan as her fingers barely brushed the sharp pine needles on the branch. Startled by her sister’s laugh behind her, the metal hook nearly slipped through Waverly’s fingers. With a sigh and a more secure grip on the ornament, she lowered herself back to the floor. 

“Want me to grab a step-stool, baby girl?” Wynonna chuckled. 

“No,” Waverly huffed, not bothering to turn around as she stood on her tip-toes again. “I’m just trying to balance out all the ones Alice hung at the bottom.” 

With one final stretch, she finally reached the branch she spied and quickly wrapped the metal wire around the limb. 

“Ha!” 

Feet flat on the floor again, Waverly turned to see her sister with a beer raised in a mock toast, “Congratulations.” 

Waverly rolled her eyes. “I was thinking… since I don’t have anything else to do while I’m here, do you want me to pick up Alice from school this week?” 

“Nah, she only does her homework at Red’s. But if you want to pick her up from there, that would be great.” 

Waverly feigned indifference with a shrug before she slid her hands into the back pockets of her jeans. “I could help her with homework too? I really don’t mind.” 

Wynonna eyed her suspiciously before plopping down onto the armrest of the sofa. “What’s this really about? You got a problem with Haught?” 

“No.” 

Waverly cringed at the high pitch of her voice. 

“But you could have told me that you knew her.” 

It wasn’t bad enough that Nicole had ruined her morning with all the changes she had made to ruin Waverly’s holiday traditions, the stupid redhead and her stupidly confident smile hadn’t left Waverly’s mind while they decorated their tree. Each festive ornament seemed to taunt her, reminding her of the dumb, all-too-merry person who had helped Doc secure their tree into the bed of the truck. And seemed oddly close to her family. 

She cleared her throat before adding, “I’m only here for so long, and I want to spend as much time with Alice as I can.” 

Wynonna’s eyes narrowed, but Waverly held her gaze, fighting the urge to duck her head, leave the room, and hunt down a bottle of whiskey to chase Nicole from her mind. 

“I know what this is about,” Wynonna replied slowly, face breaking out in a mischievous grin. “You’ve got some  **red** wood, eh?” 

“No!” Waverly squeaked. 

“Fine,” Wynonna grumbled, getting back to her feet. “But you can work it out with Haught if you want to pick up Alice.” 

“Nope.” 

Wynonna drained the rest of her beer before shrugging, “Then I guess she’s on kid-duty tomorrow.” 

\--

Waverly pushed the limp lettuce around on her plate, chewing on her words more than she had her salad. 

Though she had been pleasantly surprised to see the diner advertised a vegan option on their menu, she had been less enthused once it was on a plate in front of her; it was no more than their standard house salad minus chicken and cheese with a “special” dressing. 

“I thought you wanted to run the business? After your dad retired?” 

Chrissy shrugged, covering her full mouth with her hand. 

In the half-hour, since they sat down in the booth for lunch, Waverly was sure it was the first time her old friend had stopped for a breath, much less a bite of her food. Which, Waverly supposed, made sense that she made this one count, as lettuce hung from her mouth. 

“Sorry,” Chrissy gasped, finally swallowing her huge bite. She washed it down with a large gulp of coffee before adding, “I did. And I know it broke dad’s heart for a bit… but he understood that this was something I had to do.” 

Chrissy pointed at her uniform before lifting her sandwich again. 

It had been something of a shock to find Chrissy outfitted in a sheriff’s department uniform and Stetson. The surprise quickly faded when her friend pulled her into a much more familiar, bone-crushing hug. 

“He offered to wait, work a few more years, in case I changed my mind,” Chrissy continued, between bites, “but Nicole came along and was such a good fit that I talked him into selling it to her.” 

“Of course,” Waverly grumbled, stabbing at her lettuce. 

“What?” 

Waverly felt her cheeks flush at being caught and fumbled for a bite of her sad salad as she hummed, “Hmm?” 

Chrissy returned her sandwich to her plate and sat back in her seat. Waverly felt herself shrink under her friend’s gaze as it appraised her in a way that was eerily similar to her dad; the next sheriff in line may have retired from the department early after what happened to Waverly’s daddy, but it seemed his scrutiny was still passed on to Chrissy. Waverly squirmed. 

“You met her, right? You said you got a tree with Alice and Wynonna this weekend.” 

“Oh, um, yes,” Waverly replied, 

Chrissy’s eyes narrowed before she leaned forward again, slowly picking up her sandwich again. “What did you think? Of all she’s done with the place.” 

“It’s weird,” Waverly admitted, pushing her food around absentmindedly. “You can’t tell me you like the changes?” 

“I like that the department is making a killing off of her hot chocolate stand. Leave it to  _ hose jockeys  _ to pick cider over chocolate,” Chrissy smiled smugly. She took a small bite, chewing thoughtfully before she continued, tone dropping seriously, “But really Waves, I thought you’d be all about her.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“Hot redhead. If Beth was anything to go by, I guess the lumberjack look might not be your thing, but she’s cute, right?” 

Waverly choked on nothing and, sputtering, hastily reached for her mug of tea. When her coughing fit subsided, she finally managed to rasp, “I think that’s everyone’s thing… unfortunately.” 

“I don’t think you’re wrong there. Even I did a double-take the first time I saw her in those overalls,” Chrissy shrugged. 

Waverly sighed, nodding as she did so. But Chrissy interrupted her thoughts, pulling her away from reminiscing on just how well they had fit Nicole. 

“Enough about Nicole, though. It’s so weird that you were with Beth Gardner for  _ five years _ , and it took her breaking up with you for you to finally come back home for Christmas.” 

Waverly bristled at the bluntness of Chrissy’s comment; it prickled at her defense mechanisms just as much as it had when her family expressed similar sentiments. Before her well-used, impatient reply could be vocalized, Chrissy interjected again. 

“Sorry, that was a really rude way of saying that I’m happy you’re here and it’s  _ really _ good to see you again. Finally,” Chrissy grimaced. “How are you, though? Really.” 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a gentle reminder that if you’re overdue for a dentist appointment, I strongly recommend making one before the end of this fic due to all the tooth-rotting sweetness. Brushing before and after reading and flossing daily are essential. Both should probably be a tag warning, but here we are. 
> 
> As always, huge thanks to my beta [@LuckyWantsToKnow](https://twitter.com/LuckyWantsTo). If you’re so inclined, you can follow me on Twitter: [@DubiousOrange17](https://twitter.com/dubiousorange17)

Waverly grumbled at the cold as she paced. The puff of air that billowed in front of her lips served as only another visual reminder that she couldn’t feel her toes. 

She cursed her semi-impulsive decision to pick up Alice from school after her long lunch with Chrissy. 

She had answered Chrissy’s question honestly. It led to her, for the first time, launching into the full story of how and why Beth broke up with her: from Beth’s increasing reclusivity and blind support for her brother, regardless of his creepy actions, to their last fight. 

It was hard to tell with the flippin’ cold cutting right through her, but she _had_ felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders; even if she had left out the comments Beth had hurled at Waverly that last night. And maybe it was also replaced by a small worry that Nicole would show up before she would whisk Alice off. 

She turned and eyed the stationary parents, making small talk as they waited for their kids. 

_How can they just stand there?_

But she grumbled to herself in response, hoping the rumble from the school buses idling behind them would drown out the noise. The looks from the parents watching her pace were judgy enough. 

She continued, three steps further, and turned, facing the school as she did, silently pleading that the doors would open so she could pick up her niece and crank the heat in her thankfully charged car. 

Instead, she walked right into something soft and warm. She breathed deeply, enjoying the heat radiating off… whatever it was. 

“Waverly?”

Waverly jumped back, the smell of sawdust lingering in her nostrils. She grimaced, realizing who she had walked right into. The _one_ person she had hoped to avoid. 

“Hi. It’s Nicole, right?” Waverly feigned uncertainty as she hugged her coat closer to her; Nicole did _not_ need to know how her presence had lingered in Waverly’s mind for the past 48 hours. 

_And of course, she’s warm too,_ Waverly thought, eyes scanning the same flannel jacket Nicole wore the other day. 

Nicole nodded, and Waverly mentally cursed the stupid smile she got in return. Like Nicole was _happy_ that she had remembered her name. 

But it quickly faltered. 

“What are you doing here?”

“Oh! I’m here to pick up Alice. Didn’t Wynonna tell you?” 

Nicole’s frown deepened, and her eyes slid to the ground. “No, she didn’t.”

Rejection practically oozed from Nicole, and Waverly was surprised to find her stomach twisting with guilt as the repercussions of her lie played out before her. It struck Waverly that maybe whatever insecurities Nicole had in her relationship with Wynonna may not be unlike the ones Waverly currently had with her sister. Arms tightening around her midsection, Waverly tried to soften the damage she had done. 

“She must’ve forgotten.”

Nicole sighed, “She must have.”

Nicole’s brown eyes finally met hers again, with a hand coming up to scratch at the back of her beanie, mouth opening to speak. 

Waverly’s eyes caught on the logo on the front. Unlike the festive one Nicole donned over the weekend, this toque had a vaguely familiar shield on the front. 

But whatever Nicole was about to say was cut off by the flood of kids streaming through the exit of the school. Waverly stole a glance back at Nicole, but she had already turned to face the doors, head shaking slightly. 

Though Waverly couldn’t see them in the masses of bundled up kids, Alice and Ryan found them almost immediately. Alice squealed in delight as she sprinted away from her friend. With a thud, Waverly was knocked off balance and right into Nicole once again, Alice’s tiny arms wrapping around her legs.

“Aunt Avery! Are you comin’ to Nicky’s too?!” 

Waverly huffed, impatiently taking a step back from Nicole, “No sweetie, I’m going to help you with your homework tonight.” 

Ryan joined them just in time to hear Waverly’s words. If she thought she felt terrible before, seeing his face fall nearly had her taking everything back. 

Alice pouted, “But we weren’t working on homework, we were—“ 

Ryan and Nicole both cut her off. 

“Shhh!” 

“It’s okay, we can work on our _special_ project tomorrow,” Nicole replied, kneeling down to their level and looking between the kids, and Waverly’s lips fell into a frown. “Right?” 

“Right,” Alice huffed, and Ryan nodded in agreement, but the disappointment lingered in his eyes. 

“Great!” Nicole beamed.

Waverly crossed her arms, watching as Nicole stood upright again. “What special project?” 

“It’s a surprise,” Ryan mumbled.

But Waverly prompted, “Nicole?” 

“What the kid said,” she tilted her head toward Ryan. 

Waverly’s eyes narrowed, and she lowered her voice to a whisper, “Does Wynonna trust you with surprises?”

“I mean, she trusts me with her kid, and I’m sure that was one heck of a—oooof.” 

Waverly elbowed her in the ribs, cutting her off. 

“Okay, that was fair,” Nicole gasped, eyes watering. She swallowed thickly before turning back to Ryan and Alice. “What do you think, Alice? Can we trust your aunt to not ruin our surprise?” 

Waverly turned to her niece, watching as her little blue eyes narrowed, and she looked her up and down in a way that reminded her too much of a little Wynonna. 

“I don’t know…” Alice sighed. 

“I think we can,” Ryan chimed in. 

“You don’t even know her!”

While the two kids debated amongst themselves, Nicole gently nudged Waverly, drawing her attention back. 

“I’ll pick them up tomorrow, do you want to come over to my place a half-hour after school lets out? Or do you want to pick them up tomorrow and bring them over?” Nicole murmured. “We can let you in on our little secret.”

Nicole added a wink. Waverly rolled her eyes. 

“What if I’m not trustworthy enough?”

“She’s not!” Alice grumbled, and Nicole laughed. 

Waverly glared at Nicole, and her chuckle turned to a cough. Waverly smugly spied the way Nicole’s arms protectively covered her ribs before Waverly directed her attention back to Alice. 

“Oh really, baby girl? What can I do to prove it to you?” 

“We hav’ta get donuts! And hide them from momma? She always steals my favorites!” 

“You set yourself up for that one,” Nicole chuckled. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Alice. Wave, let me know what you decide.”

She added another wink, before she turned, gesturing for Ryan to follow along. 

“So, donuts?” Alice prompted. 

Waverly shivered, taking her niece’s hand as she grumbled, “Anything to get out of this cold.” 

\--

“Waverly!” 

“Shit,” Waverly mumbled, hearing her sister stomp up the stairs. She haphazardly stuffed Alice’s precious box of TimBits under her bed. 

The door to her bedroom bounced off the wall just as she was straightening up. Wynonna was frozen just inside the threshold, eyes narrowed. 

“What are you doing?” 

“Nothing,” Waverly replied innocently, wiping her hand on her jeans. “What’s up?” 

But she squeaked at the projectile tossed toward her face. Her hands came up, catching Wynonna’s phone. 

“Haught-stuff wants to know if you’re picking up the kids tomorrow or if she is.” 

“Oh. Um,” Waverly stammered, quickly holding the device out for Wynonna to take back. “I guess I will?” 

“Then tell her,” Wynonna nodded at her phone. “Oh, by the way, why didn’t I tell Haught that you were picking up Alice today?” 

Waverly flushed, dropping Wynonna’s phone onto the bed. “Oh. You forgot.” 

“Hmmm,” Wynonna hummed, finally moving to flop onto the bed next to Waverly. “Maybe I’m forgetting this too, but weren’t _you_ going to tell her?” 

“How would I have done that? I don’t have her number.”

Wynonna rolled her eyes. “And it would’ve been impossible to find.”

“Exactly,” Waverly agreed, nodding firmly. 

But the mischievous glint that shone in Wyonna’s eyes and her smug smirk set off alarm bells in Waverly’s mind.

“...what?” 

“Nothing,” Wynonna shook her head before plucking her phone off the comforter and standing up. “I’ll let Nicole know. Now get ready!” 

Still confused, Waverly blinked. “...for…?” 

“We’re going out! You’ve been here for, what, _days_ and haven’t stepped foot in Shorty’s yet. We need to whiskey up. Sister-style.” 

\--

Waverly groaned, turning to shield her eyes from the bright light streaming through the gap in her curtains. 

It was warm under the covers, and though she could tell it was several hours after her usual wake-up time, she was in no hurry to leave her bed. 

She rolled, turning her back to the window and snuggling deeper into her pillow. She closed her eyes, not intending to fall back asleep, but frowned at the taste in her mouth. 

Though her mind was clear, her breath wasn’t hiding the choices she had made last night. 

She _might_ need to get up. And brush her teeth. 

With a groan, she shifted onto her back and stretched, but stopped abruptly at the soreness she felt. She moved slowly, inventorying the strain of her muscles, thankful that she wasn’t sore in some particular areas. 

_At least I made_ **_one_ ** _good decision last night._

Finally sitting up and swinging her legs out of bed, her mind ran through the patchy memories from the night before, still unsure of the source of the pain in her shoulders and back. 

Waverly had a fleeting recollection of fighting with Wynonna, jockeying to successfully get her phone back from her sister. But was that at Shorty’s or back here? Because she remembered struggling to push Wynonna off of her while Waverly was pinned to the floor of the Homestead too. 

Yawning, she traipsed down the hall and to the bathroom, flicking on the light. She caught her reflection in the mirror and froze at a trace of ink on her arm. Looking down, she twisted her arm to find a phone number penned in large print across the inside of her forearm. In distinct handwriting. 

“WYNONNA!” 

\--

After shutting the door to her Jeep, Waverly unconsciously tugged at the sleeve of her jacket as she trailed behind Alice and Ryan. 

With a fresh few inches of snow falling the night before, she erred on the side of caution, choosing her Jeep over her Tesla to pick up the kids. Despite her initial hesitance, Waverly found herself appreciating the high vantage point, instead of her low riding car. 

To Waverly’s surprise, the two kids made a beeline to the large barn instead of the adjacent house. 

But Nicole seemed to expect it, if the way the door to the barn opened before anyone reached it was any indication. 

Nicole was dressed in the exact same outfit from the weekend, and Waverly grumbled, her eyes lingering on the reindeer beanie. She smirked though when Alice sprinted into Nicole’s legs, clearly knocking Nicole off-balance by the way she grasped at the door frame to remain upright. 

Waverly made it to the entrance of the barn just as Nicole finished asking Ryan about his day. 

“Hey Waves,” Nicole beamed, stepping aside to allow the kids to run inside. 

Waverly pulled on the sleeve of her jacket again, as if Nicole could see the stubborn ink that lingered on her arm through her many layers. 

“You know only friends and family call me that?” 

Nicole shook her head before shrugging, “Guess I picked it up from one of them. Sorry, _Waverly_.” 

“Thanks, _Nicky_.” 

It was Nicole’s turn to groan. “I guess I deserved that. Truce?” 

Waverly apprehensively eyed the hand extended to her before she took it, “Truce. Now, what’s this surprise?” 

Nicole led her into the familiar workshop, and Waverly looked around, inventorying the items around the room. Instead of the odds and ends that cluttered the space when Chrissy and she were kids, everything was neatly organized, from the stacks of planed boards, to the tools hanging from pegboards, and even the unfinished furniture organized off to one side. 

Waverly vaguely wondered what happened to all the junk when Nedley Senior moved, and whether or not she’d see any of it on an episode of Hoarders. 

They continued deeper inside, not stopping until they reached where Alice and Ryan were huddled around a lower, kid-height, workbench. Waverly looked over her niece’s shoulder to see two unfinished picture frames held together with clamps. 

“Look what we’ve been working on!” Alice squealed, clapping with her barely contained excitement. “They’re almos’ done!” 

“Is this your surprise?” Waverly asked, kneeling next to her niece. “Did you each make one?” 

Alice nodded excitedly before answering, “Mine’s for momma!” 

But Ryan ran to Nicole. “Can we show her the other part?” 

“I think so. Did your aunt prove trustworthy enough, Alice?” 

Alice’s eyes narrowed as she asked, “You still got my donuts?” 

“Yes,” Waverly sighed, standing up. 

Looking too much like Wynonna once again, Alice scanned her face once more before she nodded again, more emphatically, but her little blue eyes widened as she turned to Nicole. “It’s finished?” 

“Duh! Of course it is,” Ryan confirmed, running off to another part of the workshop with Alice following closely behind. 

The familiarity with which Alice tore through the barn, not unlike herself and Chrissy when they were kids, was jarring to watch. 

Just how much time is Alice spending here?

Shaking her head, Waverly made to follow them, but Nicole blocked her path with an infuriating smirk. Waverly tried to ignore the face that it highlighted the dimple on Nicole’s face. _Tried_. 

“I have an idea. Wait outside?” 

Waverly’s eyes narrowed, “Why?” 

But Nicole didn’t answer, just turned her shoulders until Waverly was facing the opposite direction, and gently pushed her toward the door. 

“It’ll be a better effect, I promise,” Nicole assured before hurrying after the kids. 

With a huff, Waverly walked herself back out of the barn and into the cold. 

It was a shame Nicole couldn’t hear her now, as she paced in a futile attempt to stay warm; if she didn’t like “Nicky,” then she probably wouldn’t have cared much for all the other names Waverly muttered to herself while she waited. 

But the last one faded, like her breath in the air, as laughter and the sound of something sliding across the snow reached her ears. Waverly stilled, turning toward the noise just in time to see Jane round the corner of the barn. 

The pup bounded through the snow wearing a red harness in striking contrast to her black fur. Waverly’s eyes followed the length of the material to where it connected to a dark-stained sleigh. Both Alice and Ryan sat inside, laughing and shielding their faces from the snow Jane’s paws were churning up. 

Nicole brought up the rear, chasing after the group before Jane turned, taking a path deeper into the property. 

Instead of following, Nicole jogged over to Waverly, her cheeks pink from the cold and exertion. Waverly winced as her teeth clacked together from her forcibly closing her jaw, unaware it had dropped so obviously. 

She swallowed before finding her voice, “Just… _what_ was that?”

Nicole chuckled, “After seeing a couple Christmas cards come to the Homestead, I guess Alice got this idea that she and Ryan needed to make some for their classmates. They wanted to pose in a sleigh, and what fun is it if it’s just a prop?”

“So you just _made_ one?” 

Waverly felt her jaw drop the slightest bit again as she caught Jane continuing to run around the property. 

Nicole shrugged like it was nothing, hands digging deeper into her pockets, “Well, yeah. Ryan and I put the finishing touches on it last night.” 

They both watched as Jane continued to tear up the snow until Nicole whistled, summoning the dog. 

Jane seemed to slow reluctantly, pulling Alice and Ryan back toward the barn, her tongue hanging out to the side. By the time the group made it back to Nicole and Waverly, Waverly found herself shaking her head in disbelief. 

“Is it ready for the pictures now?” Alice whined. 

Nicole chuckled, “I think so.”

\--

Waverly watched as Nicole snapped photos, first of both Alice and Ryan, then of each of them separately, and finally some action shots with Jane pulling the sleigh along. 

By the time they all traipsed into the warmth of the house, so Nicole could fulfill her promise of hot chocolate, the sun had nearly set and Waverly was desperate to thaw out. 

Alice and Ryan ran past her, hurrying into the house, shedding layers on their path. But Waverly dawdled, carefully untying her boots, tucking her gloves into a pocket and zipping it up before hanging her coat, hat, and scarf on a hook in the entry. 

She took long enough that Nicole came back looking for her. 

“Are you sure you guys don’t want to stay for dinner?” Nicole asked, leading her into the kitchen. 

Waverly bit her lip as she followed along. She absentmindedly pushed up the sleeves of her sweater, hoping the heat that Nicole had mercifically turned up, would better soak into her cold bones.

The more time she spent with Nicole the more difficult it was to keep up her, _maaaybe_ misdirected, anger at the stupid ginger. 

“Yeah, it sounds lovely, but I should get Alice back to my sister soon.”

Nicole nodded, ladling some hot chocolate from a pot on the stove to a mug and handing it to Waverly. 

“Maybe a kid-less date would be better?” 

The ceramic nearly slipped through Waverly’s fingers before she forced her fingers to wrap securely around it. 

“Sorry?” 

“Maybe a kid-less date would be better?” Nicole repeated steadily, looking over her shoulder as she filled a second mug. 

“And what makes you think I’d like to go on a date with you?” 

“You were checking out my ass the whole time I was taking pictures.”

Waverly felt her cheeks burn and automatically lifted her mug to hide the several shades of embarrassment that would give her away. 

When she finally lowered it, she found Nicole smirking again as she leaned against the counter. “Am I wrong?”

Waverly glared back, and Nicole sat her mug aside and put her hands up as she stepped closer. 

“Alright, well if you change your mind, you know where to find me. And, I think, how to get a hold of me.”

Nicole pointed at Waverly’s arm, grinning and striding past Waverly to call for Alice and Ryan. 

If Waverly thought her cheeks burned before, it was nothing compared to the heat when she looked down at the phone number exposed on her arm. 

“Fudgenuggets,” she sighed, pulling her sleeve down, contemplating how to best kill Wynonna when she returned to the Homestead. 

\--

“When are you settling down?” 

Waverly froze, arm halfway in the refrigerator. “Are you talking to me, momma?” 

“No, to this celery I’m chopping,” Michelle deadpanned. “I’m really hoping it’ll hit it off with these carrots, make a go of it. Have little vegetable babies that’ll visit me every holiday.” 

Waverly sighed, bypassing the beer and closing the refrigerator door. She reached for the bottle of whiskey on top instead, pulling the stopper and taking a long pull. 

She grimaced as it burned down the back of her throat. 

_Beth was right. I really have been in the city for too long_. 

Shaking her head, she sniped back, “Do you talk to your other daughter like this? She is older. Plus she has a kid.” 

It was Michelle’s turn to sigh as the blade of the knife smacked heavily across the wood cutting board. 

“She is settled. As much as she will be. She just doesn’t know it.” Michelle sat her knife down on the board and wiped her hands on the rag draped over her shoulder before swiping the bottle from Waverly’s grasp and taking a swig. 

“You, on the other hand,” momma pointed the bottle in her direction, “this ain’t you, baby girl. Sleeping around to avoid going home, working yourself to death—” 

“I am going to _kill_ Wynonna,” Waverly mumbled, reaching for the bottle. 

Her mom pulled it back, taking another swallow before holding the whiskey in the air, up out of her reach. “I know the past few months haven’t been easy and I’m _glad_ you’re getting out there after all the time with that shut-in… “ 

Though she knew her mother’s scowl wasn’t directed at her, but rather her ex, Waverly still squirmed guiltily. 

“...but…” 

“But what?”

With a sigh, Michelle handed over the bottle, “I thought you’d come back to us. Back to Purgatory.” 

Waverly eagerly took the whiskey, hearing the liquid slosh from side-to-side with the force of her grab. 

“ _Why?_ What on earth would make you think that I would come back _here_ when _everyone_ kept telling me to leave? Pushing me out of town,” she paused for a breath and a swig of whiskey. “Even you! How many times did you tell me, ‘Don’t settle, Waverly. The world is your oyster, Waverly. Get out of here while you can, Waverly. _Don’t end up like me, Waverly._ ’ I _wanted_ to stay closer for school. And you practically packed up my stuff for me so I would take that job in the city!” 

Her momma pursed her lips and closed her eyes before replying. 

“Waverly—“ 

“No, it’s fine, it really is,” Waverly turned on her heel, whiskey still in hand. “You just can’t have it both ways.” 

\--

Later that night, Waverly swiped her security blanket bottle of whiskey from the table and snuck upstairs. The creak of each step was easily drowned out by the argument Alice and Wynonna were having over a bath. 

She eased her door closed and pulled the stopper on the bottle. Two long swigs later, she fumbled for her phone and pushed up the sleeve on her sweater. After adding a new contact, she sent them one message: _so about that date…_

Before Waverly could tuck her phone back into her pocket, it chirped. 

_How about tomorrow?_


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to my “Team Jeep” ally and beta [@LuckyWantsToKnow](https://twitter.com/LuckyWantsTo) for all the help.

“Have you grown at all, since you were 13?” 

Waverly blinked, sure she hadn’t heard Nicole’s question properly. After all, Nicole’s back was to her as they entered the barn. 

The  _ sorry, what?! _ on her lips was cut off by Nicole turning abruptly. 

“Sorry, that was weird. What I meant was…” Nicole shook her head. “Nevermind, there’s no recovering from that. Let me just show you.” 

“For no recovering from that, you seem fairly unfazed?” 

“I’m sure I’ve said worse before,” Nicole replied, pushing open the door to another room off to the side of the barn. 

She stood to the side, allowing Waverly to enter first into a room she hadn’t been in years...

_ Ah, Hoarders hasn’t been here… yet.  _

But Nicole turned, expertly picking a path through the alarming amount of stuff that filled the room, ranging from animal mounts to what looked like half of an old Purgatory Sheriff’s Department cruiser and everything in-between, all stacked from floor to ceiling.

Waverly followed along with barely enough time to appreciate the effort involved in cramming all the contents of the Nedley version of the barn into this small section, before she ran into Nicole, not realizing the other woman had stopped. 

Before Waverly could apologize, her eyes caught on an unusually bare spot on the wall. Her feet automatically carried her closer, shocked that it was still there. 

Though it was worn from the years of dirt, sun, and harsh weather, she could still read her own name, in slightly sloppy handwriting from where she had struggled to carve it into the wood of the barn. Chrissy’s name was etched next to it, “Age 14” proudly included. 

But she frowned at the two pairs of ice skates that hung from nails beneath each of their names. 

She and Chrissy hadn’t done  _ that _ . 

“Are these… mine?” 

“Nedley said they were,” Nicole shrugged. “But, I’m kinda hoping they still fit…” 

\--

Waverly glided forward, much more confident now than she had been when she first stepped out onto the frozen pond on the Nedley’s, now Nicole’s, property. 

The tips of her toes brushed uncomfortably against the inside of the toe caps of the skates. Still, she pushed off aggressively, picking up momentum as the metal blades cut into the ice. 

Though she initially had some choice words to Nicole for daring to sharpen her old skates, Waverly quickly appreciated the gesture once she was on the frozen pond; the rusty and probably dull, runners would’ve held her back. She twisted her hips, and the edges of her skates followed, dragging across the smooth surface and sending a wave of snow at Nicole’s fallen form. 

“Hey!” Nicole yelled, gloved hands coming up too late to shield her face from the powder. “Do you really need to add insult to injury?” 

“Come on, you’re not hurt,” Waverly teased. 

“No, just my pride,” Nicole mumbled, unsteadily getting to her feet. “How come you aren’t rusty?” 

Waverly shrugged, using her toe to push effortlessly into a backward stride. “Maybe I’m more athletic than you? It’s just like riding a bike.” 

Nicole huffed in disagreement, edges skidding across the ice before she finally found her balance. 

The sound of her own skates sharply cutting into the ice seemed to echo across the pond as Waverly called, “At least you’re not a bender!” 

\--

An hour later and slightly out of breath, Waverly plopped next to Nicole on the weathered log that served as a bench. 

She wordlessly accepted the thermos of hot cider Nicole handed her, taking a long, slow swig. 

“Easy there, it is spiked,” Nicole chuckled. 

Though she could tell from the burn, she turned to lock eyes with Nicole, tipping the bottle up just the slightest bit. 

She felt the warmth from the liquid move more quickly down her throat and settle into her stomach as she finally handed it back. Waverly eyed Nicole’s pink cheeks and chapped lips and imagined she was in a similar state. Her cheeks felt raw from the pace with which she had cut through the icy air, but she felt more alive than she had in quite some time. 

Her eyes drifted, taking in the way Nicole’s toque had tilted lopsided—whether from the couple of falls Nicole had taken, or her effort to shake off her clumsiness, Waverly wasn’t sure. 

After Nicole took a sip of her own from the thermos, Waverly reached out, straightening the hat to more securely cover both of Nicole’s ears. 

“I’m sorry I kind of hated you,” she stated, her hand shifting around to brush at the hair that stuck out from the back of the hat before it fell back to her lap. 

Nicole’s brow furrowed. “You hated me?”

“Hate’s a strong word… I may have despised your existence.”

“That’s better,” Nicole laughed hollowly. “100% better.” 

Waverly pushed her teasingly. “Did you miss the ‘I’m sorry?’” 

Nicole smiled, “I guess I did. So the hatred is now a past tense thing?” 

Waverly nodded, “Really, I am sorry. You wouldn’t know it, but I… I used to be the nicest person in Purgatory. Sash and all. And I know I’ve been gone… for a  _ long _ time. But I thought that would never change, you know? Everything else here stays the same, so why shouldn’t that? Even if I have… but it did…” she trailed off, picking at a loose thread on her glove. “...and you came in and stole my spot.”

Nicole ducked her head to meet Waverly’s eyes again. 

“I don’t think that’s true,” she answered sincerely, and Waverly felt herself fighting the hope she felt at Nicole’s words. “If anything, I was keeping your seat warm. You should’ve heard the buzz around town about you coming back.” 

Waverly squirmed, continuing to push against her feelings. 

“Oh really?” she replied, hoping the feigned nonchalance in her voice canceled out her nervous physical energy. “What did they say?”

“Hm, let me think,” Nicole teased. She reached out, stilling Waverly’s nervous hands before that sincere tone seeped back into her voice. “That you’re smart, unfailingly kind… but what struck me more than anything, was their tone and their body language, how  _ genuinely  _ excited they were for the endeared daughter of Purgatory to  _ finally _ return home. 

Nicole paused again, and Waverly’s eyes were drawn to the way Nicole slowly licked her lips before she continued.

“I thought, no one could live up to that. But… here you are.” 

“Here I am,” Waverly nodded. 

The old log beneath them gave away Nicole’s intention before anything else. It creaked with the slightest shift of her leaning closer. The sound and the surge of emotions that the action triggered had Waverly on her feet before she could think. 

Automatically, she took two quick, choppy strides, putting distance between her and Nicole. 

But in those few precious milliseconds, she felt a pang of regret. Waverly slowly pieced together that she regretted her rash movement; she  _ absolutely  _ didn’t want that space. Instead, she wanted to be back on the bench, feeling the warmth radiate off of Nicole. 

She turned abruptly to face the space she just left, edges grating against the ice and killing her momentum. 

Nicole looked dumbfounded, frozen in place as she remained, leaning the slightest bit forward. Though her body and head were still twisted to face the spot Waverly vacated, her eyes had tracked Waverly’s moments. 

Though there was an apology in her throat, Waverly didn’t trust it to do it justice for the confusion she knew she had caused. Instead, she lifted a hand and beckoned Nicole towards her. 

The wide grin on Nicole’s face as she hopped to her feet burned in Waverly’s mind. But she turned away; she may have wanted Nicole to ultimately catch her, but she definitely wasn’t going to make it easy. 

She quickly got up to speed again, gliding effortlessly across the ice with the edges of her scarf whipping in the air behind her, before she looked over her shoulder for Nicole. 

It seemed all Nicole needed to find her literal stride, was not thinking about it. 

With a squeak of surprise, Waverly heard the blades of her skates cut deeper into the ice to pick up speed. 

Running out of room in front of her, Waverly leaned deliberately left, faking in that direction before kicking her right foot out in front and leaning heavily in that direction to turn tightly. Her edges ground into the ice, the sharp noise echoing through the stillness. 

But she was startled to hear another set of skates cutting into the ice in her proximity. 

Nicole hadn’t bought her fake in direction but instead turned her hips to skate backward, quickly closing the gap between the two of them. 

Though Waverly pushed off, crossing over to pick up speed, it was a fruitless effort, with Nicole now directly in front of her and in an ideal position to close the gap between them. 

With a fake pout, Waverly allowed it, standing taller. Nicole dug her edges into the ice to slow to a stop, but Waverly collided with her a little harder than she intended to. 

The contact worked in her favor, causing Nicole to lean forward in an attempt to regain her balance. It lessened their height difference, and Waverly took advantage by meeting Nicole’s lips. 

Waverly smiled into the kiss, hearing Nicole’s skates struggle to find purchase on the ice. Her fingers grasped the front of Nicole’s overalls until it seemed Nicole’s edges dug in. 

The kiss stirred much more in Waverly than she expected. 

Yes, Nicole was cute and certainly charming, and Waverly had a shrewd suspicion Nicole might be good at this. But it was much, much more than that. 

It hit her in a way she could only vaguely place… given that she hadn’t felt it in quite some time… and not nearly with this momentum that threatened to knock her to her literal heels. 

But that fleeting thought of her ex wasn’t hard to push aside in her mind when Nicole leaned deeper into the kiss.

Once Waverly finally pulled away, Nicole wrapped her arms around the back of Waverly’s jacket, seeming reluctant to let her go. 

Waverly humored her with a peck before she pulled away, tugging Nicole with her. 

“Let’s get you out of those skates.”

“Why?”

“So I can take everything else off you too.”

\--

They stumbled back into Nicole’s house, numb fingers quickly warming as they snuck beneath layers, prying them off in a messy trail from the door to Nicole’s bedroom. 

Waverly had just untucked Nicole’s thermal top from her long johns when Nicole’s hands covered her own. 

“Wait, Waves, are you sure?” 

Waverly hummed and nodded in response, unable to find her voice as she tugged again at Nicole’s shirt. 

But Nicole’s hands tightened around her own before she gently moved them into the space between them, weaving her fingers between Waverly’s as she ducked to meet Waverly’s eyes. 

“I want this… ” Nicole admitted, swinging their hands slightly. “I… I like you, and I’d like to continue to get to know you…” 

“But?” Waverly prompted, squeezing Nicole’s hands. 

Nicole smiled uneasily, “But I don’t want this, if it means it’ll be the last time I see you.” 

“It won’t,” Waverly answered automatically, surging forward to reconnect their lips. 

Their earlier spark caught quickly, and Waverly tugged Nicole closer; this time when her fingers curled into the waistband on Nicole’s pants, she didn’t stop her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Imagine this ice skating sequence as you want, but Waverly’s skates are ice hockey skates. Not figure skates. If you’d like to @ me for anything other than this, you can find me on Twitter: [@DubiousOrange17](https://twitter.com/dubiousorange17)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks as always to my beta [@LuckyWantsToKnow](https://twitter.com/LuckyWantsTo). 
> 
> If you’d like to find me on Twitter, I’m [@DubiousOrange17](https://twitter.com/dubiousorange17).

Nicole [12/11 7:49 p.m.]: I had a great time today 😊. Lunch tomorrow? And then maybe we can pick up Alice and Ryan? 

Nicole [12/12 2:05 p.m.]: Are you picking up Alice? Want to come over after? 

Missed Call (12/12 2:39 p.m.) - Nicole Haught

Nicole [12/12 2:40 p.m.]: Okay, Wynonna isn’t answering her phone either. I really need to know if I’m picking up Alice at least. 

Nicole [12/12 2:59 p.m.]: Gus answered and said she’s picking up Alice. Are you okay?

Missed Call (12/12 8:08 p.m.) - Nicole Haught

Nicole [12/12 11:52 p.m.]: Waverly? You said it wouldn’t be the last time I’d see you… 

At a knock on her bedroom door, Waverly tore her eyes from the latest message from Nicole, and tossed her phone aside. 

Her stomach turned guiltily, worried that she hadn’t heard from Nicole at all yesterday, but Waverly couldn’t bring herself to reach out. Not when she didn’t belong here. And would only further hurt Nicole when she went back to the city. 

Running a hand through her hair, she sighed, “Come in!” 

The door opened to reveal her aunt, shrugging into her coat. “I’m going to work, you’re picking up Alice, right?” 

Waverly fell back into the pillows, “I don’t know… I’m still not feeling the greatest…” 

But she rolled the eyes at the “hmpf” her aunt made in response. 

“What?”

It was Gus’s turn to sigh as she crossed her arms. 

“Heartache does have a way of knocking the best of us out of commission. I just thought you’d be one to do  _ something _ about it.” 

Waverly blinked, “I’m not sure there’s anything to  _ do _ . I can’t go back to Beth. Not after the things she said and all that happened.” 

“I would hope not. But it wasn’t Beth I was talking about.” Gus shot her a significant look. 

Waverly groaned, pulling her comforter up, “Can you just get Alice today? I can cover Shorty’s for you.”

Gus grumbled again before nodding, “Be there by 2.” 

Her aunt had made it all through the door before she leaned back through the frame, chewing on her lip. 

“Yeah?” Waverly prompted. 

“You’ve been doing what others want you to do for so long, “Gus grumbled. “Maybe now’s the time to do what  _ you  _ want.”

“Which is what?” 

“Live your life,” Gus asserted. “Remember: some of the best things in life are the surprises it throws us. About what we want. _Who_ we want. You’ve always been an honest kid. Don’t stop now.” 

\--

“Aunt Avery!” 

Waverly shook her head, trying to focus on her niece bouncing in front of her. 

“Yes, baby girl?”

“Why haven’t you been pickin’ me up from school?” Alice asked, pout on full display before she finished her question. 

“Oh, I’ve been sick, hunny,” Waverly lied, reaching for her glass of whiskey. 

“Hmm. Nicky mus’ be sick too.”

The glass nearly slipped from Waverly’s hand. But she recovered, tossing the whiskey back and, none too gently, placing the empty glass aside on an end table. 

“Why do you say that?” 

Alice hummed, shifting her weight from side-to-side, “She’s been sad. Like you.”

Waverly’s stomach twisted guiltily and she frowned, wishing for more whiskey. 

“Oh. She has?” 

Alice nodded firmly. “Maybe if you saw her, you’d feel better?” 

Her niece continued, voice elevating in volume, “Because you were both SO happy the other day, when you picked us up from s—”

“Shhh,” Waverly whispered, pulling her niece closer. “Answer quietly, do you want some of your donuts?”

Alice nodded and replied, only slightly quieter than before, “Yes!”

“Upstairs. Now.” 

Waverly sighed as Alice sprinted toward the staircase. Waverly got to her feet and followed along at a less brisk pace. 

The hours since Gus spoke to her that morning had passed in a fog, her aunt’s words weighing heavily in her mind. 

It had been foolish to make a promise to Nicole that she knew she couldn’t keep. Waverly didn’t belong here in Purgatory, her family and Beth had made it abundantly clear that she had outgrown her hometown. Starting something with Nicole could only lead to an impossible decision for one of them to stay or go. 

And Waverly certainly couldn’t stay  _ here _ . 

_ It is easier this way _ , Waverly reminded herself as she stepped into her bedroom, closing the door behind her. Even if it hurt. 

“Where are they?” Alice hissed in her carrying whisper, as she bounced onto Waverly’s bed. 

Waverly watched her niece snuggle into the comforter, with her head at the foot and feet propped on her pillow, before rolling her eyes. With a huff, she dropped to her knees to dig under her bed. 

“You’re too much like your mother, you know that?” Waverly grumbled, pushing aside items. 

“Daddy tells me that all the time!” 

“Of course he does,” Waverly muttered as she found the TimBit box and pulled it toward her. She continued, “Why is Nicole sad?” 

“I don’t know! No one tells me  _ annnything  _ because I’m just a kid! But she was cryin’ today after school.” 

Waverly sat up too quickly and smacked the back of her head on the underside of her bed. 

“Fudgenuggets!” 

“Mommy would say ‘fuck!’”

Waverly gingerly backed the rest of the way out from under the bed before slowly sitting up. 

“What did you say about Nicole, sweetie?”

“She was  _ crying _ and her and Ryan left super fast,” Alice shrugged, sitting up herself and reaching forward, fingers grabbing for her donuts. “Donuts! Oh! We should take her and Ryan donuts!”

Waverly handed over the box with a sigh. “Maybe we can do that.”

The sound of Alice greedily ripping open the cardboard box barely reached Waverly’s ears as she pulled her phone out of her pocket. She scrolled through the unreturned messages from Nicole before finally clicking to reply to Nicole’s last text. 

Her fingers hovered above the digital keyboard while her mind raced through empty words. 

“AVERY! YOU ATE MY DONUTS!” 

“What?! No, I didn’t, sweetie.”

“Then what’s this?!” 

Alice turned the box in her direction, revealing a phone number identical both in content and handwriting to the fading digits on Waverly’s arm. 

“Shit.” 

\--

It took some restraint, but Waverly managed to wait exactly one sleepless night before she called Nicole. 

Late last night, after Gus confirmed Alice’s version of events, with Nicole crying after school, Waverly summoned liquid courage in an attempt to follow through on her aunt’s advice. But before she emptied the bottle, she managed to find just enough self-control, or just enough of her sober subconscious, to pull her eyes from the blank message screen on her phone that had taunted her all night. 

Something she was all-too grateful for in the light of day because Nicole deserved much more than some drunken apology. 

Before she could talk herself out of it and further question whether or not she deserved Nicole, Waverly punched at the “call” icon on her phone, pacing across her bedroom while it rang. 

She wasn’t surprised that it went to voicemail after two rings, but it stung nonetheless. Her restless feet came to an abrupt halt when she heard Nicole’s voice. 

The soothing calm in Nicole’s tone as she apologized, maybe a little too genuinely, for missing her call, and telling her to leave a message and she would call her back  _ soon _ , left Waverly hoping Nicole would make good on her assurances… even if Waverly hadn’t. 

“Hey Nicole... “ she sighed, hand coming up into the air as she struggled with what to say. “I’m sorry for ig—“ she grimaced, “er, not getting back to you… and I’m  _ really  _ sorry for any pain I’ve caused… but I was hoping we could maybe talk? I can pick up Alice and Ryan this afternoon and bring them over… if you want? Let me know. Okay. Oh! This is Waverly, by the way. Waverly Earp.” She clapped a hand to her forehead in embarrassment. “But I guess you figured that out already. Okay. I’m sorry. Really. Give me a chance? Er, another chance?” 

\--

Waverly jumped as her phone’s speaker roared to life. But she growled as Pitbull’s “Timber” began to play instead of its usual sound. 

“Seriously, Wynonna?!” she fumed.

After leaving her A+ voicemail with Nicole, Waverly had deliberately put her phone aside but turned up the volume, for if or when Nicole called her back. 

Without a glance at the screen, she answered, voice giving away her hope and expectation, “Hello!” 

“Waverly. I guess you found Haught’s phone number, but just what the  _ fuck _ did you do, baby girl?” 

She pulled her phone from her ear to glance at the name flashing on the screen, “Wynonna?” 

“Or should I ask  _ who  _ did you do? Because Haught just called both Gus and  _ me _ to explicitly ask that you not pick up Alice from school.” 

Waverly’s heart dropped. “What?” 

“You heard me,” Waverly could practically hear the eye roll in her sister’s voice. “Go make up with Haughtstuff. Pronto. But ew. Not like that.” 

“I tried… “ 

“Oh. Shit. Okay, we’ll talk about it when I get home. Love y—” 

Waverly hung up before her sister could finish her sentence. 

\--

Waverly cursed, pressing the gas pedal of her Tesla again, hearing and feeling the tires spin in the snow. 

In spite of the enabled all-wheel drive, her car struggled to escape the powder that had collected around it in its few days without use. 

She punched the gas harder, the action of pushing it to the floor helping to release some of her pent-up frustration. 

Finally giving up, she turned off the car and got out, hopping into her Jeep instead. Though it took two tries for the engine to turn over, the Jeep plowed through the snow, as if it wasn’t even there. Waverly patted the dashboard in appreciation as she drove out of the driveway and turned the steering wheel towards Nicole’s. 

In the few days that had passed, she abided by Nicole’s request and let her aunt resume her routine of picking up Alice from Nicole’s each afternoon after school. 

But it wasn’t lost on her that Nicole hadn’t asked her not to call, just as explicitly and disgruntled as she apparently did to Wynonna and Gus in her demand not to pick up Alice. 

_ Did Nicole not want her around her son?  _

What other explanation was there for it? 

When she finally pulled into Nicole’s driveway, Waverly killed the engine of her Jeep, sighing as the warm air from the vents died instantly. 

Because this morning it dawned on Waverly that Nicole hadn’t indicated she _ didn’t _ want to see  _ her _ . Specifically. Though the unreturned messages and missed calls over the past few days  _ maybe _ spoke for themselves. 

She willfully pushed that reflection aside as she hopped out of her Jeep, rubbing her gloved hands together in a futile attempt to keep the warmth in. 

It had been a week since she was last here, at Nicole’s house. As she walked up the walk to the front door, she could feel the ghost of Nicole’s arm across her shoulders and side tight against her own, the way it was the last time she tread this path. 

With a shiver, Waverly made herself jog the last few steps to the door before she could lose her nerve. The dull thud of her gloved hand knocking against the wood cut through the still silence around her. 

She stepped back, watching her breath fade into the gray sky above while she waited. 

As the seconds slowly ticked by, she turned back to the driveway, confirming that Nicole’s truck hadn’t vanished in the brief time since she arrived. 

With a groan and shaking slightly in the cold, she stepped forward, pounding on the door again. 

“Come  _ on _ , Nicole. I know you’re in there,” she yelled, continuing to knock with her hand already numb, whether from the temperature or its current abuse, she didn’t care. “I shouldn’t have—“

But her hand nearly collided with Nicole herself as the door opened abruptly. 

Her eyes widened as she took in Nicole’s appearance, from her baggy hoodie and greasy hair to her flushed face and her eyes wet with tears. 

“Whatever you have to say, now’s  _ really _ not the time, Waverly.” 

She slowly lowered her hand, shocked at Nicole’s state. 

“What… what’s going on?” 

Nicole shook her head as the tears dropped faster and faster. With a deep breath expelled toward the sky, she seemed to find her voice. “Nothing.” 

“Clearly, this isn’t nothing,” Waverly pointed out, vaguely gesturing at Nicole’s state before gently pushing her further into her home so that Waverly could cross the threshold. “Is this my fault?” 

Nicole relented, moving enough so Waverly could step inside just enough to close the door. But that seemed to be the extent of Nicole’s patience as she stopped, blocking Waverly’s path from proceeding any further. 

“No,” Nicole scoffed, eyes fixated on the wall instead of Waverly. “I’m… I’m losing custody of Ryan.” 

“Losing custody?” Waverly questioned. “Isn’t he your son?” 

Nicole’s focus shifted abruptly to her, and her brow furrowed. “Son? What made you think that?” But then she waved her off before Waverly could answer. “He’s my cousin, but he’s always been more like a little brother to me. My aunt and uncle died and I’ve had him ever since. I’m sorry, I don’t have time for this. I know it’s a long shot, but I have to prepare for the trial while he’s at school and—” 

Nicole pointed to the mess of paperwork spread across the dining room table, and Waverly squinted.

“Trial? Don’t you have a lawyer? You can’t do this by yourself. Wait,  _ who _ are you losing custody to?”

“I did, but everything to keep Ryan this long nearly drained me, I was really hoping we wouldn’t have to go to trial,” Nicole sighed, running a hand through her hair. “It was  _ supposed _ to be after Christmas, but it’s been moved up. Suddenly.” Nicole’s expression abruptly turned sheepish. “A lawyer isn’t something I can afford right now.” 

But there was one question Nicole failed to answer, and Waverly had a suspicion that it was intentional. 

“Custody, Nicole.  **_Who_ ** are you losing custody  _ to _ ?” 

“My parents.” 

“I could h—” 

“Nope,” Nicole didn’t meet her eyes, but her tone was final. “It’s a waste of your time.” 

As if sensing the protest that was on Waverly’s lips, Nicole pleaded with the wall behind Waverly, seeming unwilling to look directly at her as more tears slipped from her eyes, “Please. Just go. I want to enjoy the last of the time I’ll have with him.” 

Just the idea of leaving Nicole alone in this state broke her heart, but Waverly nodded and turned without a word. 

Tears of her own began to fall before she could close the door behind her. 

\--

Waverly returned to the Homestead, face raw from swiping at the tears that froze to her cheeks, but with an energy and purpose she hadn’t felt since the start of her last trial. 

She marched into the house, made a beeline up the stairs to her laptop, and punched the power button. 

Immersing herself in research always made time pass at an unusual pace, and this occasion was no exception. But, unfortunately, her research, trying to piece together Nicole’s custody dilemma, led Waverly to more questions than answers. 

Most importantly,  _ why  _ had Nicole spent the past 18 months fighting against her own parents for Ryan’s custody? 

Her cursor blinked over a series of news articles she hadn’t been able to bring herself to open. 

From some of the hearing notes she had been able to access, Waverly gathered that Nicole’s aunt and uncle died suddenly. And maybe reading more about that from these news stories wouldn’t be a  _ huge _ invasion of privacy, but she also inferred that something about their deaths led to Nicole being dismissed from her previous job. 

The shield on Nicole’s reindeer-less beanie suddenly made sense, and she had placed it as belonging to the sheriff department from one county over. 

Learning more about  _ that _ would definitely be an invasion of privacy. 

And something lingered in her consciousness that she’d rather hear it from Nicole herself. 

Instead, she shifted her focus to the notebook on her lap and her research notes. 

She flipped the pages over and hastily scrawled out a few lines, adding her name and a heart at the bottom. 

Hearing her aunt moving toward the entry downstairs, she ripped out the pages and hurried to the door. 

“Hey Gus! Wait!” 

\--

Waverly spun the whiskey glass in her hand. She was half-watching The Grinch, which Alice insisted on watching after dinner, but the rest of her focus was darting to her phone on the coffee table, fearful she might miss if it rang or the illumination of her screen. 

Since Gus returned, with assurances that she fulfilled her role of messenger in providing an envelope of notes to Nicole, Waverly couldn’t seem to distract herself as she awaited her fate.

Waverly remained in her spot, through the original and then the Jim Carrey version, and after Alice got whisked away for a bath and bedtime. It was only when Wynonna took over the remote that she got up, making her way back upstairs, feet dragging with disappointment. 

She slowly moved through her nighttime routine before she settled into her bed, knowing sleep would likely elude her in spite of her state of exhaustion. 

But she sat up abruptly at a ding from her phone. 

Nicole [12/18 10:07 p.m.]: Are you still awake? 

With shaking fingers, Waverly fumbled to reply with a simple “yes.” 

The delivered flag below her message immediately changed to “read.” She blinked, and her screen was filled with the notification of an incoming call from Nicole. 

Automatically she pressed to answer it and lifted the device to her ear. 

“Hi Nicole.” 

“Hey, I’m sorry it’s so late… but I wanted to apologize for earlier today.” 

“What is this, a sorry party?” Waverly teased. “It’s okay though, really, Nicole. I can’t imagine what you’re going through. And I’m sorry too, for adding to it… ghosting you.” 

“It’s okay, I guess we’ve both got a lot going on right now.” 

Waverly’s free hand curled around the edge of her comforter and tugged it up to her chin. “You more than me, though. Did Gus give you the notes I sent over?” 

“She did. Thank you. Really. It was more than I could’ve put together in a couple of days, much less a few hours. And… I  _ really  _ appreciate your offer to represent me, but…” 

“But?” 

Waverly could feel Nicole’s embarrassment through the phone. 

She heard an inhale before Nicole answered, voice dropping so low it was barely audible, “I can’t afford to pay you.” 

“That’s okay.” 

“No,” Nicole asserted, voice resuming its normal volume. “I can’t—“ 

“Have you never heard of the phrase ‘pro bono?’” Waverly teased. “Seriously Nicole, I  **_want_ ** to help. I’ve seen the way you are with Ryan and, though I maybe don’t fully understand the concerns with your parents, he deserves a happy childhood. He has that with you.” 

“Yeah…” 

“Plus, this lawyer your parents have… he’s…” Waverly trailed off before shaking her head and changing tact, “I know you’re smart, Nicole, but he’s not someone to go up against alone.” 

Waverly let the silence carry. In the background on Nicole’s end, it sounded like she paced for a minute before sitting down. 

“Do you think I have a chance?” 

Nicole’s voice lowered again, but the defeated tone in it broke Waverly’s heart. She wished she was there, with Nicole, to soothe her with more than words.

“Yes, absolutely,” Waverly assured. But she paused, biting her lip as she struggled to find her next words, “I’ll… I’ll need to hear the answers to some questions that might be hard. But I think you have a  _ good _ chance.” 

With another deep breath, Nicole replied, “Okay.” 

Waverly waited a beat before she prompted, “Is that a yes?” 

“Yes,” Nicole chuckled. “Do you want to come over tomorrow?” 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks as always to my beta [@LuckyWantsToKnow](https://twitter.com/LuckyWantsTo). 
> 
> If you’d like to find me on Twitter, I’m [@DubiousOrange17](https://twitter.com/dubiousorange17).

Waverly spent the next morning at Nicole’s, pouring over some of the paperwork she had only seen from afar yesterday. Nicole strode back to the dining room table, handing over a fresh mug of tea and setting her own coffee on the table. 

The table had become their temporary office with papers spread from end-to-end until they needed to pack them away from Ryan and Alice's prying eyes. Even if the content was several grades above their reading level. 

Waverly bit her lip, unsure how to proceed. 

“What are you thinkin’?” Nicole asked, settling back into the chair opposite of Waverly. 

Waverly grimaced. “You know how I said I need to ask some hard questions?” 

Nicole sighed, a hand running through her hair. “Right.” 

“Hey,” Waverly reached across the table, offering her hand. “Just because you tell me right now, doesn’t mean we’ll use it in the trial. Only what you’re comfortable with. But I need to understand the full picture, okay?” 

Nicole nodded, slowly reaching out and locking her fingers with Waverly's. She expelled a long exhale before answering, nose wrinkling as she spoke, "It's just… these are kind of…  _ at least _ fourth date topics. And this is only our sec—" 

“You consider  _ this _ a date?” Waverly teased, nodding at all the paperwork and documents surrounding them. 

“Shit,” Nicole laughed. “No, but I’ll make it up to you… if you’d be open to another?” 

Waverly smiled, gently squeezing Nicole’s hand. “I would. We’re all out of order anyway, with some of the  _ activities _ we got up to last time.” 

“Those were my favorite,” Nicole winked. 

“Alright, easy there, lumberjack. Serious time.” 

“Serious time,” Nicole agreed reluctantly. “What do you want to know?”

Waverly pursed her lips, trying to decide where to start. Since her phone call with Nicole, Waverly had been struggling to decide on the most compassionate way to approach this conversation. With any client, she would want to start easy, allow them to get comfortable, before working up to hard ones. But in this case starting somewhere tough seemed unavoidable. 

Waverly hummed for a moment before finally settling on one that seemed the most benign, something Nicole could take a variety of ways. 

“How did you come to live in Purgatory?” 

“I moved here about 10 months ago. I was looking for a change of scenery and have known Randy Nedley for a few years. I knew he had been looking to retire, so I asked him about selling the farm. The price was right, so it was good timing, I suppose.” 

“How did you meet Randy?” 

“Through some former colleagues. They knew him from his time as a deputy. ” 

Waverly paused. A door was opened, and if it were any other client, she’d walk through it. But the way Nicole stopped abruptly and seemed to shrink in her seat gave her pause. She squeezed Nicole’s hand with her own and ducked until their eyes met. 

“I know this is going to be hard, Nicole, but it’s just me, okay?” 

Nicole rolled her lips and nodded, squeezing her hand in return. “Keep going.” 

Waverly winced before pushing forward. “Where did you work before you came to Purgatory?” 

“I was a deputy in Magnum County Sheriff’s department,” Nicole replied shakily. 

Waverly’s stomach churned at the confirmation of her assumption. 

“How long were you employed there?” 

“Two-and-a-half years.” 

“How did your employment end?” 

Nicole swallowed forcibly before continuing, “I resigned.” 

Waverly squirmed in her own seat, cursing herself for needing to push forward as she felt Nicole’s hand in her own start to sweat. “Why?” 

“I—I was working at the fair,” Nicole began, focus locked on the table, as her voice started to shake again. “One… one of the rides malfunctioned…” 

Waverly closed her eyes, recalling the headlines of dozens injured and several people perishing in the accident. Even though she was living in the city, it shook her, being so close to her hometown. 

But she forced them open as Nicole detailed what occurred and all that she had witnessed, specifically the mangled bodies of her aunt and uncle. 

“Ryan had wanted to go along so badly,” Nicole whispered, “but they had tickets for the concert that night and didn’t want him out that late. So I promised to take him later in the week. But if he was there too, he would’ve—” 

Nicole choked on her words, and Waverly found herself rising from her chair. But Nicole waved her off, “I’m okay, I’m okay.” 

But the tears sliding down her cheeks told a different story. Waverly froze, like a deer blinded by headlights, torn between sitting down and moving to Nicole’s side of the table. 

With her free hand, Nicole impatiently swiped at her tears before clearing her throat. But her eyes remained distant, without the soft warmth that Waverly was accustomed to. 

“The sheriff had his hands full, as you can imagine, so I volunteered to notify next of kin for my aunt and uncle. For my uncle, that was my father, so the sheriff didn’t bat an eye.” 

Waverly slowly lowered herself back into her seat, watching the way Nicole’s free hand picked at a corner of the nearest paper. 

“But you didn’t? Notify your parents?” Waverly prompted. 

Nicole shook her head slowly. “I hopped in my cruiser and went to my aunt and uncle’s house, grabbed Ryan, and took him back to my place.” 

“Why?” 

“My aunt and uncle wanted him to be with me,” Nicole deflected, body tensing. 

For all the ground that they had covered, Waverly was sure they were on the precipice of the most crucial question that Waverly had. 

As odd as it initially seemed, reading that Nicole was fighting against her parents for Ryan’s custody, one detail further piqued Waverly’s curiosity. Prior to their death, Nicole's aunt and uncle were in the process of updating their will, which named Nicole as Ryan's guardian, instead of her parents. 

Surely something had prompted that change? 

But Nicole’s walls were visibly in place from her stiff shoulders to steely eyes, so Waverly, slightly, changed direction for now. 

“How did this affect your employment?” 

Nicole sighed, sagging substantially. 

“The sheriff suspended me as soon as he found out, which wasn’t long once Child Services got involved. He tried to keep it quiet but… you know, small town and all. I know he easily could’ve fired me immediately… I mean, he counted on me immensely—he was grooming me to be his successor— and I broke his trust, I think he didn’t know what to do with that.” 

“Would you do it again?” 

Waverly couldn’t help herself, the next question came out automatically, as it would anytime a client would reveal something incriminating. 

“Yes.” 

The immediacy of the response and conviction in Nicole’s answer was almost unsettling. 

“Why?” 

Nicole’s eyes drifted to the clock. “I should start cleaning this up, put it all away before we have to go pick them up.”

Nicole started to stand, but Waverly tightened her grip on Nicole’s hand, holding her in place like an anchor. 

“We have at least an hour before we need to leave. This will take all of 5 minutes to clean up. Why, Nicole? Why would you do it again?” 

Nicole bristled at Waverly’s tone, but she held firm. 

“I need to understand why it would be so terrible for Ryan to end up with your parents,” Waverly continued. “If it’s just that you want him, that’s okay, we can work with it.” 

Nicole eyed her shrewdly before lowering herself back into her seat. 

“I told you this wouldn’t be easy,” Waverly said sheepishly. 

Nicole nodded, picking at the edge of the paper again, before asking quietly, “This stays between us?”

“Yes. If I think it will be beneficial for the trial, we can discuss it, but I won’t disclose anything you aren’t comfortable with. We’ll plan a strategy, together, and it’s up to you what’s a part of that or not.” 

Nicole nodded again and Waverly could feel the movement from Nicole’s leg bouncing beneath the table. 

“My parents… were always involved with the church…” 

It was as if a light bulb flipped on in Waverly’s brain, immediately understanding the high-profile lawyer representing Nicole’s parents over what would normally be a simple custody dispute. 

“When I was younger, it was just the service on Sundays and that was it. I was in middle school when they started becoming more… active. Suddenly it was Sunday school too. Then staying after the service for lunch. By the time I was a senior in high school, I basically lived with my aunt and uncle. My parents were hardly ever home. Instead, they were traveling the world on mission trips, spreading the word of God,” Nicole rolled her eyes. “I knew it wouldn’t end well when I came out. But it was just a matter of time. They had their hearts set on me going to Liberty for college, and all I wanted to do was play basketball, wherever I could.” 

Nicole’s fingers twitched in her own before she continued. “On one of their brief layovers, I told them I had a girlfriend and they kicked me out. Not that it meant much. I had almost all my belongings out of there by then anyway.” 

“How did your aunt and uncle take it? That you were kicked out?” 

Nicole licked her lips, eyes locked on their hands, “I didn’t tell them until years later. They were actually the first people I came out to… but I was worried if they  _ knew _ my parents kicked me out over it… maybe they would too?” Nicole shook her head before continuing, “It was dumb, but I couldn’t shake it. It wasn’t until after I graduated from the police academy, came back home, and got a place of my own that I told them.” 

Tears rapidly filled Nicole’s eyes again as she swallowed hard, “They thought  _ they _ did something wrong. To make me think I couldn’t tell them. They just kept saying how  _ proud _ of me they were.” 

With Nicole’s tears flowing freely, Waverly got up with a squeeze to Nicole’s hand and finally rounded the table. She pulled a chair as close to Nicole’s as she could and tugged Nicole even closer, until her arms were wrapped around her. 

They stayed like that for a few minutes until Nicole pushed herself away, rubbing her eyes with the heel of her hand. 

“A few weeks later, my aunt and uncle came over. I guess my uncle and dad had some big fight over it all, and my aunt and uncle decided if my parents didn’t have any desire to talk to me, then they weren’t going to talk to them. By this point, Ryan had come along. So my aunt and uncle felt as if, if something happened to them, they didn’t trust my parents to raise Ryan in a way they agreed with. They asked me if I would be his guardian instead. And I said yes.” 

Waverly hated to ask, but she needed to know. “Why didn’t they finalize their new will?”

Nicole shrugged. “I’m kinda surprised they had one in the first place. My uncle was a bit younger than my dad, and he and my aunt weren’t hippies exactly but… free-er spirits? ‘Live and let live’ sort of mindset? Future planning wasn’t always at the top of their priority list. But lucky for me this was underway and I was able to use it to make my case to Child Services.” 

Waverly nodded slowly before pulling Nicole back to her and into a tight hug. 

This time Nicole’s arms wrapped around her too and Waverly snuggled into Nicole’s flannel covered shoulder, inhaling faint traces of cedar. 

“Thank you,” she murmured. 

“For what?” 

“Sharing all that with me.”

“You still think we have a chance?” Nicole asked softly. 

“Absolutely.” 

\--

Alice and Ryan ran off to another section of the barn, leaving Nicole and Waverly in the workshop. 

Waverly wandered through, stepping closer to the finished projects.

She couldn’t help but notice that the inventory of finished items was substantially less than her last time here. Still, it didn’t seem as though there were any works-in-progress like the previous time either. She ran her hand along the glossy, stained arm of a chair, her fingers sliding across it as if it were glass. 

“When did you learn how to do… all this?” Waverly asked vaguing gesturing from the chair to the other items.

“I took a class in college.” 

“Is that like basketweaving, but for the gay jocks?” Waverly teased. 

“Pretty much,” though Waverly’s back was turned, she could hear the smile in Nicole’s voice. “Between half the women’s soccer team and me, we outnumbered the guys in the class. But I had a knack for it, I guess.” 

“So, you stuck with it?” 

“Yeah. It was relaxing, almost therapeutic for me, and I could always use the stuff on-campus. The faculty there helped me a bit. Once I was out of the academy and had my own place, I saved up for a lathe. I actually bought my planer second-hand from Nedley. Made some pieces for friends and family, mostly just small gifts: bowls, candle holders, cutting boards, jewelry boxes, and that sort of thing.” 

“You said you met Nedley through colleagues?” 

“I did,” Nicole confirmed. “They knew of him, and when I was looking to buy the planer, told me to reach out to him. We kept in touch. I came out here a couple times, and he always asked what I was working on. Sneaking in wisdom when he could.” 

“Sounds like Nedley. How does your business work?” Waverly asked, admiring the detail on the legs of an elegant coffee table. “Do you maintain a stock of items, or is it by order only? This is beautiful, by the way.” 

“Thank you. But both. I try to keep some on-hand, it helps to show people what I can do. Pictures can only convey so much. But most of my business is in custom orders.” 

“Have you had a lot of holiday orders? Seemed like there was a lot more going on here last time.” 

When there wasn’t a response, Waverly turned to see Nicole with her hands deep in the pockets of her jeans. 

“Yeah, um, ever since I found out about the trial being pushed up, I’ve been puttin’ time and energy into that instead of this,” Nicole replied sheepishly. “I know it’s counterproductive, and probably stupid financially, but I canceled a few orders and gave a few folks a discount to delay until the new year.” 

“It’s not stupid,” Waverly assured, turning back on the projects to step into Nicole’s space. “You really care about him.” 

Nicole nodded, “I wish that was enough.” 

“It will be.” 

Nicole shrugged, looking off into the corner of the workshop. 

“Hey,” Waverly reached up, cupping her hand around Nicole’s jaw to gently turn Nicole’s focus to her. “He’s not going  _ anywhere _ without one hell of a fight, okay?” 

Waverly felt frozen in place as Nicole’s eyes rapidly scanned her own, performing what seemed to be their own version of a polygraph. 

Nicole surged forward, her lips meeting Waverly’s own fiercely. 

_ I guess I passed,  _ Waverly thought, fingers curling around Nicole’s belt loops to tug her closer. 

The week since she had last felt Nicole’s lips against her own suddenly felt like an eternity. Waverly’s hands slipped under the hem of Nicole’s shirt, desperate to feel as close as she could to Nicole. Nicole responded, with a flick of a tongue against her lips; if that was any indication, Waverly wasn’t the only one missing the contact. 

But a jarring “tsk-tsk,” followed by a high-pitched giggle brought Waverly back to earth and jumping away from Nicole’s warmth. 

“Aren’t you supposed to be watchin’ us?” Alice asked slyly. 

Alice squirmed smugly, but Ryan’s head was tilted in confusion, like a puppy. 

Nicole chuckled, “How do you know we weren’t?” 

“I think you were watchin’ Avery’s lips instead.” 

“It was all just a ruse to make you think you could get away with anything.” 

“A ru—ooose?” Alice stammered. 

“Nevermind,” Nicole took another step away from Waverly. “You wanted to get the sleigh out?” 

\-- 

Waverly had her notebook open in her lap when Wynonna plopped down next to her. 

Doc was putting Alice to bed, and Waverly had been reviewing her notes for Nicole’s trial since dinner. 

“Alice said she saw you kissing Saint Nic today.” 

Waverly shook her head in an attempt to clear it, lost in replaying Nicole’s revelations in her mind. 

“Oh. Yes,” she shook her head again, trying to force it to switch gears. 

“I guess you two made up?” 

“We did,” Waverly confirmed. “ _ Not  _ that it’s any of your business.” 

“It is if you’re doing  _ all that  _ while on kid-watch. Haught may not care about exposing her redwood to junior, but keep it in your pants around my kid.” 

“ _ We didn’t make up like that _ ,” Waverly glared, before closing her notebook and setting it aside. “Why didn’t you tell me Ryan isn’t Nicole’s son?” 

“He’s not?” 

Waverly paused, unsure if her sister was pulling her leg or not. 

“He’s not?” Wynonna repeated. 

“Well, no… But if she didn’t tell you that, I don’t know how much more I can say…” 

Wynonna shrugged before getting up. “She probably told Gus. I’m not one to get all cozy with the neighbors.” 

“She lives 10 miles away! And she takes care of  _ your  _ daughter!” 

“Beth was 20 away, and you practically married her! Anyhow, I trust Gus’ instincts.” 

\--

Waverly hurried up to Nicole’s front door and knocked until it opened, revealing one slightly disheveled Nicole. 

“You need to tell Gus and Wynonna that Ryan isn’t your son,” Waverly stated, slipping inside and closing the door behind her. 

“Hello to you, too,” Nicole greeted. “And why?” 

“In case, we need to call them as witnesses,” Waverly answered, haphazardly shedding layers before making her way back to the dining room. “To back up how well you’ve been caring for Ryan. I think we should speak with Wynonna too about practicing questions with Alice, should we need to call on her.” 

“Right,” Nicole sighed, trailing behind her. “About that…” 

“Yes?” Waverly prompted. 

“We can’t have Ryan testify.” 

Waverly froze, hand curled around the backrest of a chair but making no move to pull it out. 

“Why not?” 

“Sit,” Nicole nodded at the chair while pulling out one for herself. 

Waverly reluctantly complied, settling into the seat before prompting, “Why not, Nicole?” 

Nicole tugged at the sleeve of her flannel before answering softly, “He’s shy.” 

“And?” 

“And I don’t want him to have to go up there in front of everyone.” 

“Okay,” Waverly replied slowly, hesitant about this turn of events. “Then let’s talk strategy. Because this changes it a bit. If what you said yesterday is true, there’s no advantage to your parents calling him to testify, so if we don’t, he likely won’t, but I don’t think that helps us. If we did—” 

“No,” Nicole interjected, shaking her head firmly. “I don’t want to do it. And I don’t want to use that my parents kicked me out against them. I don’t want that judgment from my hometown.” 

Waverly didn’t follow. “Judgment? Do you think they’d be ashamed of you? Because if anyone should be ashamed it’s—” 

“No,” Nicole repeated. “Listen, I wasn’t the town-sweetheart, Waverly. I have to salvage what little credibility I have left.” 

The bitterness in Nicole’s voice wasn’t lost on Waverly, and she wondered what else she didn’t know about Nicole. 

“If that’s what you want…” Waverly trailed off, feeling a little deflated. 

“Yes. I don’t want to win that way.” 

Waverly bit her lip, holding in a comment about a means to an end—because she couldn’t help but think they might not win without playing those cards. 

\--

In the days leading up to the trial, Waverly spent nearly all her waking hours at Nicole's, further getting to know her. They prepared for the trial by day and spent the afternoon with Ryan and Alice. 

Nicole explained her relationship with Ryan to Gus and Wynonna, and Waverly prepared both of them to take the stand to support Nicole’s excellent care of Ryan. Nicole was reluctant, but Waverly practiced with Alice too, just in case. 

By the time she shifted her Jeep into park in Nicole’s driveway on the 22nd, with a packed overnight bag in the back, she felt prepared and optimistic. In spite of how her hands had been tied by Nicole’s requests. 

She took her bag from the Jeep and hurried into the warmth of Nicole’s house, letting herself in, and setting her bag by the door. 

When she saw a visibly exhausted Nicole, with her leg bouncing nervously from her seat at the dining room table, Waverly had a change of heart on how to spend their last day of preparation. 

“C’mon, we’re going outside,” Waverly stated, tilting her head back towards the front door. 

Without hesitation, Nicole bundled up and took Waverly’s offered hand. Waverly guided Nicole into the barn and picked up both their skates.

“Don’t we need to practice?” Nicole asked as they trekked to the pond. 

“Nope,” Waverly replied confidently. “We’re ready.” 

Flurries began to fall while they spent the morning skating, only stopping when Waverly's feet were numb with cold. And Waverly knew she made the right decision seeing the light return to Nicole's eyes. 

“How did you know  _ this  _ was just what I needed today?” Nicole asked as they sat on the log bench, untying her skates. 

Waverly shrugged, “Tomorrow’s going to be a long day. Figured we should enjoy this time while we could.” 

Nicole nodded slowly before focusing intently on her boot lace. 

Waverly’s insides squirmed. 

They hadn't yet discussed what would happen between them after the holidays when Waverly returned to the city for her job. 

Though, to be fair, Waverly wasn’t really sure they were a real  _ they _ . 

The list of things they needed to talk about was piling up quickly. But so had the awkward moments like this where they tip-toed around an actual conversation about them. 

Waverly wrote it off in her mind. They were focused on preparing for this trial. Everything else could wait until after that. And if they weren’t  _ really _ together,  _ officially _ , it was one less thing the opposing lawyer could use against them. 

But the idea of them losing this trial, leaving Nicole without Ryan and Waverly too, when she returned to the city, made Waverly want to toss that last concern to the wind. 

She tried to reason with herself that Nicole wouldn’t truly be alone, even in that worst-case scenario. Gus, Wynonna, Nedley, and Chrissy at least would be there to support her. 

But her concern must have shown on her face when she firmly linked her fingers with Nicole’s as they walked back to the barn. 

“Are you okay?” Nicole asked, running her gloved thumb along the back of Waverly’s hand. 

“Just thinking about tomorrow. Are you all packed?” 

With the trial taking place in the morning in Nicole’s hometown, they had a hotel room for the night, and planned to leave after they picked the kids up from school that afternoon. Gus and Wynonna were following behind them later that night. 

“Yep. Just gotta pick up my suit from the dry cleaners on the way to get Ryan and Alice.” 

“I’m a little disappointed I haven’t been able to see you in it yet,” Waverly whined. 

It was important for Nicole to look professional, and though they had discussed her attire at length, Waverly hadn’t been able to coax Nicole into a dress rehearsal. 

“Don’t worry, it fits well,” Nicole winked. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks as always to my beta [@LuckyWantsToKnow](https://twitter.com/LuckyWantsTo). 
> 
> If you’d like to find me on Twitter, I’m [@DubiousOrange17](https://twitter.com/dubiousorange17)

“Okay, this was  _ definitely _ worth the wait,” Waverly admitted, adjusting the lapels of Nicole’s navy jacket. “I’m absolutely  _ not _ complaining about all the flannel, but we are getting dressed up  _ way  _ more often.” 

“We?” Nicole prompted with a hopeful smile. 

“When was the last time you wore it?” Waverly deflected, hands shifting to the collar of Nicole’s shirt. 

“Oh. Um. Only for the occasion I got it for… my wedding.” 

Waverly’s hands dropped from the fabric as if burned. 

“You’re married?” 

Nicole grimaced, holding up a ringless left hand. “Divorced. Technically.” 

“You didn’t think that would be important for me to know?” 

“Well, we’ve kinda been busy preparing for this, haven’t we?” 

Waverly took a step back before throwing up her hands in frustration. And not at all jealousy. “I need to know for this too. What if they use it against you?” 

“My parents don’t know about it,” Nicole shrugged. “So how would they?” 

“You don’t think their lawyer would have found out about it?” Waverly fumed, before returning to her spot, fixing the section of the collar she had crushed in her surprise. “It’s fine. We’ll work with it. But why wear the suit if that didn’t work out? Isn’t it bad luck?” 

“Oh, I definitely got lucky in this. It was everything after the suit that didn’t work out.” 

Waverly rolled her eyes, before placing a peck to Nicole’s cheek. 

“Let’s hope its luck holds out.” 

\--

The early part of the trial went as Waverly expected… mostly. 

The opposition used the obvious against Nicole: her aunt and uncle's will and her suspension from her job as a deputy. The sheriff testified, supporting the details leading up to her suspension but also volunteered redeeming aspects from Nicole's period of employment. 

And they countered as planned. The judge was hard to read, but Waverly couldn’t help but feel they fell short in their effort. Waverly couldn’t shake the wish to sway Nicole into revealing that her parents kicked her out. 

She followed their own strategy, calling Wynonna and Gus to testify. For once, Wynonna behaved herself, speaking more highly of Nicole than Waverly had heard her speak of anyone. Those words stung in comparison to the ones her sister had lobbed at her for the past few months, but when she saw the judge's reaction to her account, Waverly pushed her feelings aside. 

While Waverly weighed the pros and cons to calling Alice next, her mind wandered to what gave her most pause about the other side: they weren’t revealing Nicole’s failed marriage and sexual orientation.

It didn’t jive with what she knew of her opposition and this lawyer’s conservative background, where he would use these traits against opponents to smear their credibility. 

But when the reason clicked into place, she asked for a recess, and it was granted by the judge. 

“What are you doing?” Nicole murmured. “Isn’t it going well?” 

Waverly took Nicole’s hand and pulled her into as secluded of a spot as she could find. 

She whispered, “We have to let Ryan testify, and we have to explain that your parents kicked you out.” 

“What? No!” Nicole’s eyes bulged in a panic. “It seems like it’s going well, why do we need to do that?” 

“Your parents’ lawyer. He’s building up to tearing you down by revealing that you’re gay, and how that doesn’t make you a suitable caregiver. I guarantee he’ll use your divorce to support it. We need to show how your parents’ religious beliefs tore your family apart and have Ryan support what a great acting-parent you are.” 

“No,” Nicole stated plainly. “I don’t want to win like that. I don’t want that judgment from the people here. Them kicking me out will be seen as more of a reflection on me than them.” 

“It’s also a means to an end? Don’t you want custody of Ryan?” 

Nicole recoiled, “What is that, lawyer-speak? Means to an end?” 

Waverly closed her eyes. This was derailing quickly, and they only had a few minutes left before they were back in front of the judge. 

Much to her chagrin, her mind replayed her last time in a courtroom, just a few weeks ago. It was the biggest case thus far in her career and a huge one for her firm. She felt she had a win all but locked in, but in the end, in spite of all the research and preparation, it slipped from her grasp. Just like everything else in her life at the time. 

She pulled her eyes open to see Nicole looking anywhere but her. 

“Nicole,” she replied softly, drawing her focus back. Only once their eyes met did she continue. “Do you know why I stayed away from Purgatory for so long?” 

She shook her head before leaning closer. 

“I thought no one there wanted me, wanted me to  _ stay _ ,” Waverly admitted. “They pushed me toward opportunities and they were doing just fine without me, so I stayed away, even though I missed  _ everything  _ about home. My sister, our home, my Jeep. And forced myself to believe where I was and the things I had were better. Then Beth broke up with me and when I said I was coming back, she said I didn’t belong here. I had forgotten my roots and outgrown it.” 

Waverly sighed, “She was wrong. And if they think your parents kicking  _ you _ out is a reflection of you, they’re wrong too. It’s not about what other people want for you, Nicole, or think of you. It’s about what  _ you  _ want. You’re the one who has to live with the consequences of your decisions. Not them. Not anyone else.” 

Nicole nodded slowly.

“Do you want Ryan?” 

“Yes.” 

“Do you trust me?” 

Nicole bit her lip before nodding again. 

“I’m going to call you to the stand and ask you about your time in high school, with your parents being absent and then kicking you out. And then I’m going to have Ryan testify. Okay?” 

“Okay,” Nicole breathed. 

\--

Coming back from the recess, Waverly called Alice to the stand, and, as she suspected, Nicole’s parents’ lawyer called Nicole to the stand and asked her about her relationships and divorce. The judge looked less than pleased by the image that was painted of someone wild and unreliable, but Waverly smugly kept Nicole on the stand and asked her about her teenage years. 

It seemed the tides had shifted slightly in their favor when Nicole moved back to her seat, and Waverly spared another glance at the bench. 

But she couldn’t help but worry as Ryan made his way up to the stand. He was visibly nervous, shaking. He only nodded when the judge asked if he understood what was being asked of him and to be honest in answering any questions. 

They hadn’t practiced at all, and Waverly was cursing herself for not doing so, as she saw his leg bounce just like Nicole’s did. 

“Hi Ryan,” she began, with a smile. “You’re nervous, aren’t you?” 

He nodded once, wide eyes drifting to her for a second before going back to scanning the rest of the courtroom. 

“I know, it’s scary. There are a lot of people here. But it’s just you and me talking, okay? 

Ryan nodded again, focus remaining on her just a little longer this time, before he murmured, “Okay.” 

“Good,” she smiled widely. “What’s it like living with Nicole?” 

In spite of the lack of practice, Waverly’s confidence for a win soared as he answered her questions beautifully. He described how he had trouble making friends at his new school until he met Alice, how Nicole picked them both up from school to help them with their homework. He even detailed building their sleigh, and Nicole helping them to make Christmas presents. 

But Waverly was sure of a win when she asked Ryan how well he knew Nicole’s parents. He admitted he had never met them before his parents died, and how scared he was to live with people he didn’t know. 

Instead of focusing on the bench, Waverly watched Nicole when the judge confirmed her inclination with his final verdict. The relief that washed over her was instant, but Waverly was far from prepared for the look in Nicole’s eyes when she turned in her direction.

The love she saw warmed Waverly and scared her at the same time. It reminded her that all she had done to keep her feelings for Nicole at bay was fruitless. They seemed destined for this collision course and all that was left was for Waverly to give in. 

But before she could do something stupid like admit how she felt to Nicole, she was pulled into an enthusiastic hug. Nicole’s arms wrapped around her back before her chin resting on Waverly’s shoulder. 

In spite of the intimacy that they had already shared, this somehow felt far deeper than the gesture would dictate. Waverly could feel the gratitude and love radiating off of Nicole. And Waverly, selfishly, pulled Nicole closer, as tight as she could to soak up as much as she could, while she still could. Her hands slipped under the back of Nicole’s suit jacket in an attempt to get closer, feeling the warmth seep through the fabric of her button-up shirt. 

“We did it,” Nicole breathed. 

\--

Though Waverly suggested they celebrate before they leave for Purgatory, Nicole had no desire to linger in her hometown any longer than necessary. After a quick stop at the Sheriff’s department so Nicole could say goodbye to her former boss, they hit the road. Nicole’s foot was heavy on the gas pedal until they returned to the Ghost River Triangle. 

Even though Waverly’s hand grew sweaty, sensing Ryan’s focus on her, Nicole kept their fingers interlocked and hands resting on the center console for the entirety of the drive. Even once Nicole brought her truck to a stop in the driveway, Nicole’s grip on her hand tightened. Nicole fumbled, stubbornly reaching across her body with a huff to use her left hand to shift into park. 

When Waverly turned to look at the driver’s seat, Nicole only mouthed one word. 

_ Stay? _

\--

Waverly waited in the living room, focusing not on the holiday movie on tv, but the sounds of Nicole helping Ryan get ready for bed. In spite of her exhausted state, she struggled to find a comfortable position on the couch, shifting and turning while she waited. 

But once she heard Nicole’s feet slowly traipse down the stairs, Waverly forced herself to still her restless movements. 

Nicole yawned, plopping down onto the cushion next to Waverly. 

“What are you watchin?’” 

“I’m actually not sure? Some sort of terrible Hallmark movie.” 

Waverly blindly reached for the remote to see the title, but her hand collided with Nicole’s. Nicole chuckled, moving the remote aside. She turned in her seat to face Waverly, taking her hand once again. 

Though Waverly herself had changed into more comfortable clothes from her bag, she was pleasantly surprised to find Nicole still in the same clothes from the trial. Nicole had shed her jacket, but still donned the suit pants and button-up shirt. Sometime during her time upstairs, Nicole had rolled up her sleeves and undone a few buttons at the top, revealing far more skin than Waverly saw earlier today. 

“I really don’t know what to say… ” Nicole trailed off, her thumb moving across Waverly’s knuckles. “...I couldn’t have done this without you… and I don’t think there are words to adequately thank you for all the time you’ve put into this… into helping me.” 

Waverly opened her mouth to reply but instead found her words muffled into Nicole’s lips. 

The simple contact shot a spark through Waverly, seeming to instantly convert her fatigue into energy. Waverly leaned into the kiss, hands hastily trying to find purchase on the fabric of Nicole’s shirt to pull her closer. 

Once Waverly tugged Nicole’s shirt from her pants, Nicole leaned back, eyes sparkling. “I may not have the words to thank you properly… but I can certainly  _ show _ you my appreciation.” 

Feeling punch drunk from the loss of contact, Waverly could only blink in response. It took a small nod in the direction of the staircase for Waverly to be pulled from her fog. With a nod of her own, Waverly tugged Nicole to her feet, pulling her up the stairs. 

\--

Waverly eased awake. Though her eyes were closed, she was conscious of the fact that she was not in her own bed. 

Nicole’s bed was both blissfully warm from their shared body heat and the perfect balance of soft and firm. Waverly turned, tugging the soft comforter up past her chin as she hoped to drift back to sleep. 

Though many factors were stimulating her senses, she wasn’t able to pinpoint which of them specifically triggered the distinct awareness of her current location. It could’ve been anything. Perhaps the smell of the sheets or the difference in the sound of the wind slipping between the gap between the window and its frame. Maybe it was the pleasant soreness she felt, reminding her of every location Nicole’s hands and lips had left their mark across her body. 

Or maybe it was the soft, slow rustling of clothes she heard, as though the person slipping into them was trying as hard as they could to keep their noise to a minimum. 

Waverly sighed, throwing an arm out wildly, hoping to find Nicole still next to her in the bed and reel her in closer. 

She predictably came up empty-handed, but it didn’t stop a disappointed, sleepy whine from escaping her lips. 

Nicole chuckled from somewhere entirely too far away and Waverly heard Nicole step closer. 

“I’m sorry,” Nicole murmured, pausing to place a gentle kiss to the side of her head. “I wanted to let you sleep.” 

“I want  _ you _ to sleep. Here. Now,” Waverly protested, before shifting onto her back. 

“I’ve gotta get up. Ryan will be up soon.” 

“Right,” Waverly yawned, still unable to pry open her eyes. “Should I go?” 

“What? No. Rest as long as you want.”

Nicole’s tone was genuine and, feeling suddenly more awake, Waverly forced her eyes open to confirm that her body language matched the note in her voice. 

“Are you sure?” Waverly asked, eyes scanning Nicole’s face. 

“Of course,” Nicole beamed, bringing a hand up to caress Waverly’s cheek. “I’ll have breakfast ready. Get some more rest, lo—, um,  _ lady _ .” 

Even in the faint light, the color rising in Nicole’s cheeks was noticeable. Waverly felt Nicole’s fingers slip away from her face, but she hastily held them in place before turning to kiss Nicole’s palm. 

“I’m up, actually,” Waverly replied, ignoring the word that Nicole almost let slip out. She let go of Nicole’s hand and swung her legs out of bed. “I’ll help? With breakfast.” 

From the sheepish smile on Nicole’s face, with her cheeks still flushed, it seemed Nicole was grateful Waverly didn’t push it. 

“You sure?” 

\--

Waverly took her time getting dressed, enjoying the pained look on Nicole’s face each time she further covered her body. 

“Later,” Waverly smirked, with a peck to Nicole’s lips before pulling her down the stairs. 

Not having quite come down from her night with Nicole, it took longer than it should’ve for Waverly to recognize the muffled sound she heard was coming from the tv in the living room. 

But, as soon as she realized that Ryan was already awake, Waverly came to an abrupt stop, her limp fingers slipping from Nicole’s grasp. 

Though Nicole seemed comfortable with their displays of affection around Ryan, Waverly couldn’t help her hesitation. 

With a lingering kiss to her temple, Nicole seemed to understand her trepidation. Nicole took her hand again, giving it a gentle squeeze before loosely tangling their fingers; as if she were giving Waverly the option to take it or leave it. 

Waverly latched on, likely crushing Nicole’s fingers in the process, before Nicole continued on, leading the way to the living room.

“Hey, bud,” Nicole called into the room. “You’re up early.” 

Ryan shrugged slowly, clearly not all that awake himself, from the way he leaned heavily onto the armrest. He barely glanced at the door before his focus returned to the tv. But after a moment, his attention darted back to them. Or specifically, Waverly. 

Waverly felt her cheeks burn as his eyes bulged; he seemed entirely too knowing for his age. 

“You sleep okay?” Nicole asked. 

He shrugged again before his attention shifted to Nicole. “I’m hungry.” 

“Me too, kid. What do you want?” 

“Pancakes?” 

“You got it.” 

Nicole dropped her hand with another brief kiss. 

“Don’t you need a hand?” Waverly asked. 

“Nah. Sit down, watch cartoons. I’ll bring some coffee once it’s ready.” 

Waverly fidgeted, her hands twisting in front of her. “You’re sure?” 

“Yes. I can cook on my own… a little bit.” 

With a wink, Nicole left, leaving Waverly standing in the doorway. 

Waverly turned back toward Ryan, sighing at how much more alert he seemed all of a sudden as he carefully watched her movements. He was sitting upright in his seat, head tilted, not unlike the way it was a week ago when he and Alice caught Waverly and Nicole kissing. 

“What are you thinking, Ryan?” 

He snapped back upright, cheeks flushing quickly. “Nothing.” 

She couldn’t help but think back to the last time she had caught another Haught in that same lie. She smiled, grateful this was under much happier circumstances. 

“Doesn’t seem like nothing, bud.” 

He shrugged slightly, seeming to force his focus back to the tv. 

He fell silent and Waverly let it go. She had turned away, intending to go back upstairs and find her phone when Ryan spoke up. 

“You make Nicole happy.” 

It wasn’t a question but a statement, and it gave Waverly pause. She turned back around to find him watching her carefully again. 

“I hope I do. She makes me happy too,” Waverly admitted. 

It felt odd confessing this, in the grand scheme of things, minor feeling to Ryan before really articulating her feelings to Nicole. But he seemed preoccupied by this, so it seemed important to express that they were on the same page. 

Ryan nodded, but he still appeared concerned. 

“Is that okay?” Waverly asked slowly. 

He shrugged, and Waverly saw through his attempt at indifference. Slowly, she moved across the room, sitting in an armchair. 

“You and I don’t really know each other well, do we?” 

He shook his head. 

“Let’s fix that. What do you want to know?” 

Ryan fidgeted for a second before answering. 

“You don’t live here, do you?” 

Waverly sighed,  _ going right for the jugular, aren’t you, kid?  _

“No, not anymore,” Waverly admitted. 

His face fell so quickly it was jarring. “Does this mean I’ll have to change schools again?”

Ryan asked his question so softly that Waverly almost missed it, but the worry in his voice was unmistakable. 

Waverly froze, startled by his tone as much as she was the question. 

This was clearly the root of his concern, and Waverly distinctly felt the pressure alleviate his worry. Still, she also hadn’t discussed  _ anything _ with Nicole. 

Though having Nicole U-Haul into the city was the  _ last _ thing on Waverly’s mind, a wrong word or tone might reach Nicole’s ears and inadvertently send a message she didn’t intend. And she  _ did  _ want to explore what she and Nicole could be. 

“Why would you ask that?” Waverly asked, buying time for racing mind. 

“Isn’t that what happens?” Ryan replied, not seeming to follow her question as if the answer was obvious. “When you love someone, you live together. Right?” 

“In some circumstances, yes, in some no,” Waverly deflected. Choosing to ignore that it was the second time this morning that word had come up. When Ryan turned to her, confused, she waved her hands frantically, “It’s complicated!” 

“Oh,” he nodded, seeming to struggle to wrap his mind around those words if the way his little eyebrows knitted together was any indication. “Nicole’s gonna be sad, if you leave.” 

“I really will.”

Waverly jumped, her heart seeming to drop with the movement. The resigned disappointment in Nicole’s voice startled her as much as Nicole’s presence. 

In her focus on the conversation with Ryan, she hadn’t even noticed Nicole step back into the room, much less her proximity. In her shock, Waverly nearly knocked the offered mug of coffee from Nicole’s hand. 

“Here.” 

That one word cut through Waverly’s thoughts as Nicole’s arm further extended. 

Automatically, her fingers curled around the mug, taking it from Nicole’s grasp.

“Nicole…” she trailed off, mind blank. 

Nicole only shook her head, already taking a step back. 

But Waverly was half out of her seat desperate to remain in Nicole’s proximity. “Let me help with breakfast.” 

Nicole turned, a sad smile on her face. “No, it’s okay.”

Waverly continued to rise until the smile faded, and Nicole’s eyes shifted, pinning her in place. They begged for space, and Waverly could only nod, wishing the movement would help shake off the feeling that whatever she had with Nicole was following out the door too. 

\--

Breakfast was an awkward affair. 

Though realistically it wasn’t long until Nicole popped her head back into the living room to say the pancakes were ready, it felt like an eternity to Waverly. Once around the table, Waverly was sure Ryan saw through both their attempts to engage him in conversation instead of each other. She vaguely wondered if he always ate so quickly or if it was just to escape her and Nicole. 

After he hopped up from the table and ran off, Nicole jumped from her seat as well, whisking her plate and Ryan’s to the sink. Waverly pushed her fork through a pile of syrup, watching the sticky liquid slowly refill the valleys created the tines. 

What could she say? Nicole couldn’t possibly expect her to stay in Purgatory, not with a life and a job in the city. But leaving felt like an immediate end to whatever was growing between her and Nicole. 

Hearing the faucet turn on, Waverly slowly pushed away from the table, taking her plate and utensils with her. She gently hipchecked Nicole away from her spot in front of the sink. 

“You cooked, I’ll clean.” 

Nicole seemed ready to argue about it, but Waverly cut her off with a glare before it could start. 

Nicole sighed, stepping away to grab other dishes, while Waverly grabbed the pan off the stove. 

Trying to calm her racing mind, she lost herself in scrubbing. But once she rinsed the pan, she caught Nicole in her peripheral vision, looking at her while she leaned against the counter with a dish towel in hand. 

Nicole stepped closer, taking the pan from Waverly once the suds were rinsed off. 

“Do you want to talk about earlier?” Waverly asked, grabbing a plate. 

The silence lingered, long enough that Waverly was sure Nicole didn’t hear her. Only once Waverly finished washing the plate, rinsed it, and handed it off, did Nicole answer. 

“No.” 

“No?” Waverly asked, freezing with her hand hovering above another plate. 

She turned back toward Nicole. Even looking at her profile, the sadness in Nicole’s eyes was obvious. 

“No,” Nicole repeated, turning away to put the now dry plate back in its cabinet. “It’s not news to me that you’re going back to the city. There’s really nothing to talk about.” 

Waverly replied softly, “But Nicole—“

“No,” Nicole interjected, turning back to her. “It’s okay. Really. Let’s just… enjoy the time we have?”

Waverly bit her lip. Everything in Nicole’s body language contradicted her words, that it wasn’t okay. That Nicole wasn’t okay. 

But Waverly didn’t have the faintest idea what she wanted. Or how to make this work. So she agreed. And wordlessly turned back to the dishes. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas!! 
> 
> There's an intentional reason I wanted to post this last chapter on Christmas. Last year with extended family, I attempted to bring some sanity (and accuracy) into an uninformed political conversation and unintentionally stirred the pot. A LOT. So before I could do more damage, I basically exiled myself to the basement for two hours and read fanfic. When someone finally came looking for me, I pretended I had fallen asleep. 
> 
> I don’t remember what I read or who it was by, if it was new or old, but it was a lifesaver. Though I hope it’s not the case, if you find yourself needing a break or distraction today, this is here for you. And if you need an ear to bend, my DMs are always open ([@DubiousOrange17](https://twitter.com/dubiousorange17)). 
> 
> As always, thanks to my amazing beta [@LuckyWantsToKnow](https://twitter.com/LuckyWantsTo). And thank you all for reading and following along.

Waverly sipped from her mug, watching Alice. She wasn’t sure which of them was more restless, Waverly after her morning with Nicole or Alice stealing glances at the fireplace on the off-chance Santa arrived early. 

Waverly didn’t linger at Nicole’s after they finished washing the dishes. In spite of Nicole’s request that they enjoy the time they had together, Nicole seemed distracted. And dejected. 

And Waverly was all-too-aware that she was the cause. So she left, without any plans for when her and Nicole would see each other next. 

In spite of her best efforts, including the covert whiskey neat in her mug, she couldn’t chase this situation from Nicole from her mind. 

When Doc eased onto the couch next to her, she hopped up before he could wink and ask how her night and morning with Nicole were. 

With a long gulp from her mug, she followed the smell of baked goods and dinner to the kitchen to find her momma closing the oven and setting the timer. 

Waverly tip-toed deeper into the kitchen, stealing a cookie off a cooling rack before turning away. 

“How’s Nicole?” Michelle asked, and Waverly cursed at being caught. 

“She’s… good,” Waverly settled for, turning back toward the kitchen. 

“You two  _ celebrate _ appropriately last night?”

Waverly rolled her eyes. “Is that any of your business, momma?”

“Nope, but I am a little interested in someone who might bring my baby girl home a bit more.”

Waverly fumed, but before she could reply, Michelle continued, “You know, Judge Cryderman died suddenly a few weeks ago. From what I’ve heard, there aren’t any qualified candidates, and you know, Purgatory’s high on all those ‘best places to live’ lists, so I’m sure we can lure someone from the city.” 

Waverly grumbled, feet carrying her on a blazing path back to the bottle of whiskey. She splashed more into her mug and took a big gulp.

“Just  _ what _ do you want from me, momma? Be honest, because I’m tired of trying to understand your games. Do you want me here or not?” 

“What games? I just don’t want you to settle baby girl.” 

“And,  _ hypothetically _ , staying here with Nicole wouldn’t be?” 

“That’s for you to decide.” 

\--

Waverly heard a soft knock on her bedroom door. She called for them to come in, setting her book aside in anticipation of Alice saying goodnight. 

Instead, it was Wynonna who closed the door behind her before flopping on the bed next to Waverly. 

“How’s the hot redhead?” Wynonna asked without pretense. 

“She’s alright,” Waverly replied, reaching for the book. 

“Just alright? She should be fucking elated. She’s got the kid. She’s got you.” 

“For now,” Waverly mumbled, flipping to her bookmarked page. 

“What do you mean?” 

“Nothing,” Waverly replied airily. 

“What gives? You’ve been weird since you got back from Haught’s. I thought you’d be blissed out after a night banging your girl.”

“She’s not my girl,” Waverly grumbled. 

“Okay, life partner?” Wynonna guessed. 

Waverly fumed, tossing her book aside impatiently, “Yes, Wynonna, we’re actually already married. Sorry, I forgot to invite you.” 

“Woah, woah, easy baby girl,” Wynonna replies, lifting her hands. “Jeez. I just thought you’d be in a better mood when you got home. You should’ve seen the way you looked at Haught-stuff when you won the trial. You looked like you were going to climb her like a tree.” 

Waverly glared at her sister. “Seriously?” 

“What?” 

“I’m over these wood jokes.” 

“Wood…? Oohhh!” Wynonna snorted. “Anyways, I’ve got eyes, Haught loves you. She’s your girl, whether you two idiots want to admit it or not.” 

“No, I’m sick of this. I don’t belong in Purgatory, but yet I’m supposedly married to the town’s newest sweetheart.” 

Wynonna’s eyes narrowed, “Don’t belong here? Why would you think that?” 

“Why wouldn’t I think that? You and momma practically kicked me out of the house to go to school and take this job.” 

“That doesn’t mean you don’t belong here. It means you were too good for the rest of us shitheads.” 

“Right.” 

Waverly looked away, her vision becoming cloudy with rapidly forming tears. 

“Waverly?”

“No, it’s fine, I just thought…  _ maybe  _ you would want me back here.”

“I’m on  _ board _ ,” Wynonna chuckled and Waverly slapped her arm. 

“Ow!” Wynonna whined, rubbing her bicep. “I’d love it if you were closer, baby girl, you know that.”

Waverly shrugged, she didn’t  _ really  _ know that. “You don’t think… I haven’t…” Waverly shook her head. “Never mind.”

“You haven’t what?” 

Waverly bit her lip, choosing to look at the floor instead of her sister when she slowly replied. “Beth said I outgrew Purgatory.” 

“Outgrew? And why would you trust anything she says? You broke up with her. Months ago,” Wynonna then grumbled. “Really, you should’ve done it years ago.”

“Yeah, with my fancy car,” Waverly nodded in the direction where she knew her Tesla was all but buried from visibility thanks to the snow, “and going vegan. And before I came back, I couldn’t even tell you the last time I had whiskey.” 

“Beth is full of bullshit.” 

The firm certainty in Wynonna’s voice drew Waverly’s attention back to her sister. 

“You outgrew  _ her _ . Not your home. Not us.” 

“I never saw coming home as an option,” Waverly admitted, tears slipping from her eyes and sliding down her cheeks. “I thought if I came back, you and momma would turn me right around, send me back to the city.”

Wynonna pulled her closer, wrapping her arms around her. “Never. I just want you to be happy, baby girl.”

Wynonna held her until her tears ebbed. 

“So, what are you going to do about Nicole?”

\--

Even through her closed eyelids, Waverly could tell it was entirely too early when she was bounced awake. 

“AUNT AVERY! AUNT AVERY!  **WAKE UP,** IT’S  **CHRISTMAS!!”**

Alice tugged the comforter off of her, and Waverly shivered, the cold air shocking her more awake. 

“Is it? I had no idea,” Waverly moaned, blindly reaching for the comforter. 

“C’mon, c’mon,” Alice huffed, pulling the comforter further out of Waverly’s grasp. “Mommy said I can’t open presents until you’re up!” 

Waverly groaned, “Of course she did.” She pried her eyes open and kicked the last of the sheets away. “Okay, I’m up, I’m up. Bathroom first and I’ll be right downstairs.” 

Alice squealed in delight before sprinting out of Waverly’s room. Waverly heard her hurry down the stairs, screaming that it was time for presents. 

Pushing her hair out of her face, Waverly stood up. She tugged on a sweatshirt and was halfway to the door before she stopped. Waverly turned back, grabbing her phone off the nightstand and clicking to illuminate the screen, heart sinking at the blank screen. She hadn’t heard from Nicole since Waverly left the farm yesterday. Waverly clicked to her messages to double-check that she hadn’t missed something. 

Once it had been confirmed that she hadn’t in fact heard from Nicole, she shoved her phone into the pocket of her flannel pajama pants, wishing she could just as easily tuck aside this uneasy feeling. 

“AUNT AVERY! HURRY UP!” 

Waverly sighed, turning on her heel and leaving the room. 

\--

Cradling a mug of coffee that had been made mercifully strong and spiked by Wynonna, Waverly sat on the couch. She leaned heavily into her aunt’s side while she watched Alice tear into her presents, one-by-one. 

Only one refill of coffee and a cinnamon bun later, remnants of shiny wrapping paper coated the floor, hiding the hardwood. Waverly watched as Alice struggled under the weight of the present in her hands. It was wrapped sloppily, clearly done by Alice herself and completed with a big red bow. Alice hefted it into Wynonna’s hands, and Waverly sat up, recognizing what this particular gift was before it was opened. 

Waverly store a quick glance at her phone, as Wynonna tore into the paper. Disappointed at the continued lack of communication from Nicole, Waverly shoved the device back in her pocket and forced her vision back to Wynonna. 

Waverly looked up, just in time to see the paper fall away from the frame that Nicole had helped to make, complete with a photo of Alice giggling from the sleigh. 

The memories of Nicole, laughing at the kids and Calamity Jane, while they slid through the snow, created a thick lump in Waverly’s throat. Under the pretense of getting more coffee, she stood, making her way to the kitchen. 

But the memories of Nicole followed her as she splashed more coffee in her mug, forgoing the liquor. 

“Avery!!” 

Alice calling from the living room finally helped Waverly set aside her sorrow. At least for now. 

“Yes, sweetie?” Waverly replied, easing back into her seat. 

But the answer was obvious, as Doc helped support the present in Alice’s hands. It was identical in size, shape, and quality of wrapping to Wynonna’s, and Waverly had little doubt what was contained inside. 

“For you!” Alice exclaimed, holding the present closer. 

Waverly set her mug aside, and with shaking hands gently ripped into the paper. As suspected, a frame nearly identical to Wynonna’s was revealed. The stain on the wood was slightly darker and, if Waverly had to guess, it was the same as she saw on the coffee table Waverly had admired a few days ago at Nicole’s. 

But what most caught her eye, was the different photo resting inside. One Waverly didn’t remember Nicole snapping in all the visits to the tree farm. 

Instead of Alice and the sleigh, Waverly saw herself in the photo, knelt down in front of her Jeep with Alice in a tight hug. Her niece’s face was more visible, flushed from the cold, and scrunched up with barely contained joy. 

The lump in Waverly’s throat grew. She didn’t remember it at all, couldn’t even hazard a guess at when Nicole could have captured this moment. 

“Do you like it?” Alice asked shyly. 

Wiping at her eyes, Waverly handed the picture to Gus to pull her niece into a hug. 

“I love it, thank you Alice.” 

Alice squirmed out of the hug, pointing at the back, “I signed it. Nicky did too.” 

Waverly took the frame back from her aunt and flipped it over. Alice’s name was sloppily carved into the wood, with a smaller, much neater “N. Haught” below. 

A small folded piece of paper was tucked into the back edge of the frame, contrasting against the black mat board backing. Her name was neatly penned across the outside, with an “a” that looked identical to the “a” in Nicole’s last name. 

She briefly contemplated opening it then and there, but decided against it with an audience. Instead, with shaking hands, she pulled it from the frame and gently tucked it in her pocket. 

\--

It was an agonizing half-hour until Waverly slipped back up to her bedroom to read Nicole’s note in private. Halfway up the stairs, she checked her phone again, but still nothing from Nicole. 

She carefully shut the door behind her, before leaning against the mattress and pulling the folded paper from her pocket. 

Though Waverly wasn’t sure what to expect, seeing a single sentence scrawled across the paper in tiny handwriting flooded her with disappointment. She tried to swallow it, as she squinted to read the line. 

_ I have a present for you too. -Nicole  _

Curiosity piqued, Waverly reached for her phone. She navigated to call Nicole, before she glanced at the clock in the top corner of the screen, catching that it was barely 8am. Cursing her niece, but more-so Wynonna for waking her up so early, Waverly opted to text Nicole instead. Though she was sure Nicole would be awake, with an overly eager kid ripping into presents as well, Waverly didn’t want to interrupt their celebrations. 

She tapped out a message before setting her phone aside and wandering to the shower. 

Waverly [12/25 8:03 a.m.]: Merry Christmas!! Thank you for helping Alice with the picture frame. It’s beautiful! 

Waverly [12/25 8:03 a.m.]: I got your note too. Can I come over?

\--

Less than an hour later, Waverly shifted her Jeep into park next to Nicole’s truck. With Nicole’s note tucked securely in her pocket, serving as a futile attempt at easing Waverly’s nerves, she reached over to the passenger seat. Waverly grabbed the muffins she had managed to hide from Wynonna, a wrapped gift for Ryan, and her own present for Nicole. 

She stuffed Nicole’s present, no more than a tiny box, wrapped, and clad with a silver bow, into the pocket of her jacket, and braced herself as she stepped into the cold. Last night’s snow was already shoveled from the walk, and Waverly couldn’t help but wonder how long Nicole had been awake as she knocked on the door. 

Instead of Nicole, the door opened to reveal a smiling Ryan. He frantically gestured her inside. 

“Wanna see my presents?!” 

“Of course! I’ve got one more for you too. Can you take these to Nicole?” Waverly asked, handing off the muffins and setting Ryan’s present on the floor before shedding her coat. 

\--

While Ryan opened Waverly’s present, a brand new pair of ice skates, and then showed off his Christmas presents, Waverly watched Nicole. 

Though Nicole had greeted her as she usually would, with a gentle kiss and a genuine smile, Waverly couldn’t help but think Nicole’s state of fatigue was more than just “exhausted parent woken up entirely too early on Christmas” tired. 

After Ryan ran off to his room, a new toy in hand, Waverly moved closer to Nicole, reaching for her hand.

“Hey.” 

“Hey,” Nicole replied with a forced smile. 

“Did you sleep okay?” Waverly asked. 

Nicole grimaced. “Not really. I… I didn’t like how we left things yesterday.” 

“I didn’t either,” Waverly admitted. “I know you didn’t want to talk about… us…” 

Nicole sat more upright in her seat, the single word “us” seeming to serve as more than a stimulant than the likely several cups of coffee Nicole had already downed this morning, that lingered on her breath. 

“But, I’d like to,” Waverly finished sheepishly, shifting in her seat. 

Nicole rubbed at the back of her neck, focus shifting away. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have brushed it off so quickly.” With a deep breath, Nicole’s eyes met hers again. “But you want to talk about it today?”

Waverly nodded immediately, and Nicole sighed, the dampness collecting between their connected hands giving away Nicole’s nerves. 

“Okay,” Nicole replied with a slow nod of her own before smiling. “Can I give you your present first?”

After Waverly agreed, they bundled up, and Nicole led them out to her workshop. 

As the old fluorescent lights flickered slowly to life, fighting against the cold, Waverly caught how the workshop had been rearranged. A workbench had been pushed into the center space, where it would typically be in the way, with a large clean moving blanket covering whatever sat on top of it. 

Waverly didn’t realize she had come to a stop, blocking just inside the door until Nicole took her hand, guiding her closer to the bench. 

With a squeeze, Nicole dropped her hand and reached for the blanket, tugging it off the bench to reveal a beautiful cedar porch swing. 

Waverly’s feet carried her forward, a hand hovering over an armrest as if, if she touched it, it would vanish into thin air. 

“You said you wished you could spend more time on the balcony of your place in the city,” Nicole explained. “Maybe this will get you out there more often?” 

“This is for  _ me?” _

“Of course,” Nicole chuckled. 

“How did… when did you…” Waverly shook her head, tearing her eyes from the swing to look at Nicole. “How did you have the time to do this?!”

Nicole only shrugged, stupid smile on her face. 

Waverly shook her head, walking around the workbench to better take in the swing. 

“Seriously, Nicole. This had to have taken you  _ a lot _ of time. And with all the work we were putting into preparing for the trial...”

Nicole shrugged again, burying her hands deep into her pockets. “It really didn’t. I was having trouble sleeping, so it gave me something to do other than worry about losing Ryan.”

Waverly circled back to Nicole, wrapping her arms around Nicole. “We’re going to talk about the sleep thing later, okay?”

She felt Nicole nod, and Waverly pulled her closer. “It’s beautiful. And so thoughtful.”

“I hope you like it,” Nicole murmured. 

“I love it. Thank you,” Waverly said, pushing up on her toes to punctuate her appreciation with a kiss, unconsciously tucking a hand into her coat, fingers curling around the present in her pocket. “I have something for you too.”

“Yeah?” Nicole asked, stealing another kiss before linking their hands. 

“Yes, but talking first.”

“But it’s Christmas,” Nicole whined, squeezing her hand.

\--

Once back inside, Ryan was still preoccupied with his toys, allowing Nicole and Waverly privacy in the living room. They sat close together, hand-in-hand, only having separated enough to remove their coats and boots. 

And though it felt like they were on the same page, with what they both wanted, Waverly couldn’t bring herself to voice her question while looking at Nicole. It felt like a cop-out, but she still leaned heavily into Nicole’s side, burying her face in the soft flannel of her shirt. Nicole pulled her closer, wrapping strong arms around her back. 

“What do you want?” 

Though Waverly was close enough to breathe in the calming smell of sawdust that always lingered on Nicole and the answer seemed obvious, she had to ask. 

“You,” Nicole immediately replied. 

Nicole’s answer was so simple, but it flew in the face of the layers of complexity to their current situation.

“You make it sound so easy,” Waverly chuckled. 

“What do you want?” Nicole asked, a hand coming up to brush their Waverly’s hair. 

Waverly snuggled closer into Nicole’s comfort. “You.”

“Then we can make the rest work,” Nicole replied.

The calm and easy confidence in Nicole’s voice almost quieted Waverly’s worries.  _ Almost.  _

“How?” 

Waverly cringed at the apprehension and uncertainty in her voice, but Nicole just squeezed her tighter. 

“We’ve both been through worse than distance,” Nicole chuckled. 

And for the first time, Nicole’s assured tone cracked. Not with uncertainty but with a glum reluctance. 

Waverly nodded. 

“What are you thinking?”

“That you’re right,” Waverly agreed. “Doesn’t make me any happier about it.”

“Me neither.” 

“But maybe it won’t have to be a long term thing…” Waverly trailed off, pulling away from Nicole’s warmth. She placed a peck to her lips before standing up and going for her coat. 

Nicole’s confusion was apparent from the second Waverly walked back into the living room, present hidden in her hand. 

Waverly answered Nicole’s silent question, “I had to get your gift.” 

“Oh?” 

Waverly revealed the small box in her hand, holding it in the palm of her hand. 

Nicole’s eyes bulged, and Waverly cringed. 

“I should’ve found a different box,” Waverly added. “It’s not what it looks like. It’s probably stupid really, I have a bottle of whiskey for you too.” 

But Nicole took the box from her palm, before tilting her head at the empty seat next to her. 

“Sit with me,” Nicole beamed. 

Waverly complied, nervously settling into Nicole’s seat. Nicole kissed her temple before tugging on the ribbon. 

Waverly wished Nicole would’ve attacked the wrapping paper with the tenacity that Alice and Ryan had earlier. Instead, Nicole gently pulled at the seam on the bottom and, an eternity to Waverly later, pulled the wrapping paper off in one piece. 

Nicole turned to her, eyes as alight as any of the kids opening their own presents. “Can I shake it?” 

Waverly rolled her eyes and nodded, watching as Nicole lifted the box to her ear and gently shook it. Nicole’s eyes narrowed in confusion at the light clank of metal rustling against the inside of the cardboard box, muffled by the tissue paper Waverly had wrapped around the item. 

“If you don’t open it soon, I’m going to take it back,” Waverly whined. 

Nicole shifted the box out of Waverly’s reach and smiled. “Fiiiine.”

Nicole mercifully pulled the top of the box open, revealing a wad of silver tissue paper. Waverly held her breath as Nicole pushed the paper aside, pulling a shiny silver key from the box. 

“It’s to my Jeep,” Waverly explained in a rush. “I wanted to give you a key to my place in the city, but I’ve realized I don’t want to stay there. And why give you a key to a place I don’t want to be? So, I thought about a key to the Homestead, but the doors don’t really lock.” 

“You don’t want to stay there?” Nicole asked, finally tearing her vision from the key in her hand. 

Waverly shook her head. “No. I  _ hate  _ being so far from Alice, Wynonna, Gus, and momma. And this visit reminded me just how much I missed small-town life. Plus… there’s this cute girl I’d like to be a bit closer to, get to know a bit more.”

“I think she’d like that too,” Nicole kissed the top of her head. “But she doesn’t want to hold you back.”

“You won’t,” Waverly assured, switching to address Nicole directly. She wanted Nicole to know that. “It really is about more than this. Us. I’ve missed my family so much.”

Nicole squeezed her before smirking, “So, why the Jeep? Isn’t she your baby?” 

“She really is. Again,” Waverly admitted. “We… had a bit of a falling out. While I was in the city. Or rather, I failed to appreciate her. My Jeep is… one of the things that means the most to me here, a reminder of why I want to come back home. But I trust you to foster her, until I can get back. Maybe run her from time-to-time?” 

Nicole slipped away, making a show of adding the key to her key ring. 

“It would be an honor,” Nicole beamed, rejoining her on the sofa. 

“And maybe in the meantime,” Waverly said, leaning close to Nicole, “we could hang that swing somewhere… closer? Maybe somewhere we can use it when I’m home?” 

“I think we can find a spot,” Nicole assured, leaning forward. 

But Waverly stilled her momentum with a gentle hand to her chest. “Hold on. Jeep tour first.” 

“Tour?” Nicole whined, getting to her feet nonetheless. 

“It’ll be worth it, I promise,” Waverly replied, linking her hand with Nicole’s and pulling her to the door.

She didn’t let go until she pushed Nicole into the driver’s seat. 

“What are you waiting for?” Waverly asked, bouncing into the passenger seat. “Start her up.” 

Luckily the engine turned over on the first try. Nicole beamed, eyes scanning the interior before drifting to the rearview mirror. 

She laughed, hand coming up to touch the greenery Waverly had hung from the mirror. “This  _ isn’t _ what I think it is.” 

“Yep! Mistletoe!” Waverly beamed. “This is why I said Jeep tour first.” 

Nicole hummed, eyes filled with the same light and love as they had in the courtroom, meeting Waverly’s. 

But this time, Waverly gave in to all the feelings that look stirred within her. She closed the little distance between them, meeting Nicole’s lips. 

She tried to inch closer, pull Nicole’s warmth nearer, but hissed against Nicole’s lips when her leg collided with the gearshift. 

But with another peck, Nicole seamlessly moved her leg out of the way and pulled Waverly closer. 

“Merry Christmas,” Nicole breathed against her lips. 

“Merry Christmas, Nicole.”


End file.
